Blood of the Innocent
by Rena the Turk Intern
Summary: *Reposted because I accidentally deleted the story* The half breed Tohru finds herself in hot water when a rival coven desires her dead. Help comes unexpected, however, when the Sohma coven comes forth to aide her in her time of need.
1. Setting the scene

Okay

Okay. So, funny story. I….kinda…..accidentally deleted Blood of the innocent and now I'll go and repost it, only better (because I only have chapters 9-13. Haha….(cries))

Well, here's Blood of the Innocent redone. Yeah.

Prologue

Politics

If he had one wish, it would be for time to stop

Katsuya moved off of Kyoko panting heavily. He ran a hand through his hair, drenched with sweat, and looked back at her beautiful blanketed form. She was looking at the ceiling, sweat dripping down her body, her hair splayed out over the pillows. Katsuya smiled and took her hand, kissing the back gently before his lips moved towards hers. Kyoko pushed him away, her eyes intent on some goal. Katsuya followed her will and backed away from her, waiting to hear what she had to say.

...

Shigure sat at his desk typed at his typewriter. Three weeks had passed since Katsuya had been pronounced dead by the coven. Chisa seemed to be fuming, he guessed she wanted the pleasure of killing him for herself. Her anger against Katsuya knew no bounds.

There was a knock on the door and Shigure yelled for them to enter. Yuki walked in, an irritated look on his face. "Shishou-san and HIM are here," Yuki said. Shigure smirked and rose from his desk. He descended the stairs and entered the bar. It was packed and another live band was playing. Shigure could hear their music when he was working upstairs, but they sounded much better when he had descended.

He looked around the bar for the two vampires and found them standing by the entrance. "Yo! Isn't it a nice day today?" he asked, taking pride in the look of disgust that flashed across the younger vampire's face. Kazuma, the older, smiled and nodded.

"It's been a pretty wonderful day."

"Yup. So, what brings the two of you here today?"

Kazuma patted the younger vampire, Kyo, on the back and smiled. "Akito has been relocating vampire's around the country and her expressed interest in having Kyo work here in the bar with you and Yuki."

Shigure looked at the bar where Yuki was serving drinks for the patrons. It would be so much more interesting around here if he got Kyo here. The idea of all the 'fun' he could have with the two of them made him giggle with excitement.

"Alright. I have absolutely no problem with Kyo working here!"

...

"I still don't see why you're leaving Katsuya. I mean that coven, Chisa's coven, they believe you are dead don't they?"

"Yes, but if even one of them catches me walking around and reports it to Chisa, then you would be in such danger and I could never forgive myself if anything happened to you. You could come too, if you'd let me turn you."

Kyoko shook her head and kissed him. As they continued, his hand began to slide down her side, pushing the blanket that had been covering her away to exposed her beautiful flesh. His lips moved from hers to go to her neck and kiss the exposed skin. As he kissed her, he could feel his fangs begin to surface and pulled away, afraid of biting her. Kyoko laughed a little and ran a hand through her hair as he struggled to keep his fangs under control.

"Do I have to worry about you giving me a little nip Hun?"

"Shut up. I figured it would be unpleasant if I bit your neck our last night together."

"Tonight…I wouldn't mind."

Katsuya stared at her like she had bugs coming out of her hair. After all, the only other time he had tried to bite her she beat his head against a wall and had launched into a verbal barrage a sailor wouldn't dare touch. After that, the memory had imprinted itself in his mind and kept his fangs at bay. He slowly moved towards her neck and licked his lips. Before he made contact, he looked at her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Because you hit really hard."

Kyoko laughed and looked at him.

"Is the big bad vampire afraid of little ol' me?"

Katsuya smiled and leaned in towards her neck.

"Never….."

...

Vlad arrived in front of the apartment complex in a taxi. The vehicle hadn't been his first choice, but a limo would have brought too much attention to himself. That was the last thing her needed, especially since Aria was still in the country. He preferred keeping as much space between the woman that had gotten him kicked out his home country and himself as possible.

Vlad approached the apartment complex and looked the note Katsuya had given him,

"234. Apartment 234."

...

Katsuya drank from Kyoko, his eyes closed as he savored the taste of her blood. She was more delicious then he ever could have guessed. He pulled away before he took too much and caused Kyoko to suffer any ill effects from the feeding. She looked at him and seemed a little alarmed when her eyes went to the blood trickling down his chin. He grabbed a rag and held it to her neck.

"J-just hold that there. It'll stop in a few minutes."

Kyoko just laughed.

"There are people that seriously pay to have you guys do that?"

Katsuya smiled goofily and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah….It's actually quite a turn on. So, do you think-"

He was interrupted by a buzzing noise. He sighed and looked back at Kyoko.

"T-that's probably Vlad. He's the only one who'd show up at this time of night. I thought we'd get more time together, I'm sorry Kyoko."

Kyoko sighed and watch Katsuya get dressed. He was afraid she might cry or something, He'd lose it if she cried. He pulled his shoes on and began to head out of the door. She was still lying in the bed, the blanket held up to her chest. There were tears in her eyes as she stared back at him and if he could have, he would have killed himself for the pain he saw.

"Kyoko….I'm so sorry."

"J….Just go. Let's leave it like this, instead of getting into some whole big deal over it. It's better that we part as…..as friends…and lovers…..and…." Tears dripped down Kyoko's face and she swiped them away. "And not start crying and making fools of ourselves."

"I'm so sorry Kyoko." He turned away from her so he would not see those tears. He opened the door and took a deep breath before walking out and shutting it behind him. He leaned against the closed door and tightened his grip on the unfeeling slab. If there was any justice, his heart would explode then and there and he would die. It would be better to die then leave her, but he was selfish and began walking towards the door.

Vlad was waiting outside with an annoyed look on his face. The look softened when he saw Katsuya's depressed demeanor and he opened the door of the taxi. Katsuya cast one last look towards Kyoko's window and saw her standing there, smiling at him with tears still lingering in her eyes. He smiled back and blew her a kiss before he got into the taxi and drove off into the night.


	2. Premonition

Okay, so you all know the story

Okay, so you all know the story. Still sorry for deleting it. I was actually trying to add the thirteenth chapter.

I figured I'd put in the prologue so that it would set stage a little. Like, I was upset that Katsuya and Kyoko's relationship, while touched upon, was never really mentioned too much. All I ever said was they got together and nine months later Tohru was born. Katsuya also seemed kinda robotic so I wanted him to seem actually…well…human. Then, I figured Katsuya and Vlad are friends so I should have Vlad in there. And then for some reason I figured I'd mention Kyo. Well, that was its intention. Then it just turned into this giant cluster fuck of words, so yeah. There was also a malfunction where the little lines I had added for people to see the paragraphs that were related got deleted. I personally think this story might be cursed. It was like way more adult then I would have liked(I was blushing when I reread it), but I figure it's something new I added and I haven't like gotten any flames for it….yet.

Please don't send any flames.

PS: Did I mention Akito at ALL when I wrote that chapter. Someone commented about Akito and I thought I steered clear of that little bitch (sorry but no one abuses my Hattori.) And I do know the big secret about Akito. I have known for 3-4 years. It ain't a secret any more.

Yeah

End of rant.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything. Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya, and let's leave it at that.

_**Pronunciation**_

–_**noun**_

_**1.a feeling of anticipation of or anxiety over a future event; presentiment: He had a vague premonition of danger.**_

_**2.a forewarning.**_

_** (Webster's Dictionary)**_

Chapter 1

Premonition

Sixteen Years Later

Funerals were always a sad occasion, and the fact that it was her mother lying in the grave made it all the more harder for Tohru to staunch the flow of tears that dripped down her face. She swiped at her eyes again, but it made no difference. Her face was still a soggy mess when she spotted the grave.

Hana stood on one side of her and Uo stood at the other. They each comforted her through the situation, and on the seemingly long walk home. Despite the heaviness of her heart, Tohru still shooed them when they reached the apartment she had stared with her mother, stating that they had their own families to be with and school was still tomorrow.

Even if she felt like her breaking heart would be the death of her.

Tohru sat alone in the empty apartment watching the TV. She didn't really understand the show she was watching, her mind was still on the funeral she had attended. IT seemed like only yesterday that her mother had been besides her with that same goofy grin on her face. However, Tohru knew better.

It was last week that the accident occurred. Unaware that her mother had failed to go to work, Tohru was rudely awakened by knocking at the door and had greeted two police officers who had told her of the discovery of her mother's car, brunt out and ashen, on the side of a rural country road far from the house. The fire had been so severe that the remains found in the car hadn't even been positively identified as her mother. When the authorities had discovered that she was the owner, they had stated the body inside was that of her mother, and Tohru entered the worst week of her life.

Her mother's family had stopped communicating with their daughter when she dropped out of high school, and Tohru knew nothing of her father save the small picture her mother gave her. She alone had to handle funeral arrangements, insurance, and the like that were to be handled when someone died. If Uo and Hana had not been there to comfort and are for her through the proceedings, Tohru was sure she would have died with the pain she felt. Now, after everything, the gravity of her new life was still setting in and Tohru wondered if she should stay in this lonely apartment haunted by memories.

Somewhere during the course of the nameless show that flashed on the television, Tohru's eyes closed and she began to drift off into sleep. Sighing, she switched the television off and began to head towards her bed. She got under the covers and fell into a deep sleep.

……..

_**She was back in the cemetery where her mother had been laid to rest. She saw the grave but for some reason, something didn't seem right. It seemed like, that wasn't the place her mother was, despite the fact that the body whose ashes resided there were those that had been found in her mother's car, and if she followed the logical procession of though, it would conclude that her mother was in the grave. **_

_**As she pondered the grave she stood before, Tohru heard a voice calling to her. She looked around but the source remained hidden from view. The voice surrounded familiar, but she couldn't pinpoint whom it belonged to. Just when she was formulating where the source might be coming from,**__** a loud buzzing noise jarred Tohru from her sleep.**_

…..

Tohru groaned and turned off her alarm clock. She looked at the clock as the brief though flashed through her head that she might want to stay home from school, especially considering the day before. As she thought of this, her mother's words flashed through her mind.

"Tohru, I never graduated from high school, and I always regretted it. I don't want that for you, I want you to graduate, and tell me about the feel of that diploma in your hand."

She rose out of the bed and dressed. Breakfast was a piece of toast, a bowl of cereal, and a glass of orange juice. Then, she packed her books and headed to school.

…..

"Man, it hasn't been the same around here."

Uo looked out for Tohru as she and Hana waited at the usual spot. Tohru was usually there early and eager to head to school. However, since the accident Tohru would show up late, even though she still seemed eager to go to school. Uo worried that Tohru was hiding how she felt over the accident and what consequences it could hold for her friend. Up had already seen first hand the effects if depression, and the idea of Tohru going through the pain and agony Up had witnessed made the girl's heart seize with sadness. Just when Uo was considering walking to Tohru's apartment, Hana spotted her walking towards them.

"You're earlier today Tohru!"

"Yeah…I guess I slept better now that the arrangements were taken care of."

Uo blinked.

"Was that all that was keeping you up?"

"Well…..yes. I was so worried about handling everything I guess I was keeping myself up at night…" Tohru looked at Uo. "Did…did I scare you or-"

"It's nothing. Come on, let's head to school."

Uo grabbed Tohru's hand and began pulling the girl with her. Hana followed, watching Tohru and Up with concern but keeping silent.

……

"_**Tohru……."**_

_**She was back in the graveyard, in front of the false grave. She thought of it as the false grave, since she still felt like her mother was not present in it. She was kneeling in front of the grave and rose when she heard the voice calling her once again. **_

"_**Tohru……."**_

_**The voice still sounded familiar, and then it hit her. It was her mother's voice.**_

"_**Mom?!"**_

"_**Tohru……."**_

"_**Mom, I'm here!"**_

"_**Tohru……Trust them……"**_

"_**Trust who?"**_

"_**Tohru……"**_

"_**Mom!"**_

"Honda-san!"

…..

Tohru snapped up and found the class staring at her. "Honda-san, do you have an answer for the question?" asked the very angry teacher standing at the front of the room. Tohru rubbed the back of her head. "Er…..no…..sorry…"

"Out in the hall."

Tohru rose from her seat and took the walk of shame into the hall. She stood by the door waiting for the immanent arrival of the teacher. Her mind fled back to the dreams she'd been having, standing in the graveyard and being called by the voice of her mother. Never had any of her dreams been do coherent, and she wondered if it meant anything.

Not that she believed in stuff like that.

Tohru would have like to think of herself as a realist, but these dreams just seemed to mean something. Maybe it was the scarce hope that the feeling she had about the grave, the fact that her mother was not really buried there, was true and her mother was actually out there, somewhere, and Tohru would see her one day.

The teacher walked out into the hall and Tohru banished the thoughts about the dreams. She looked up at his cross face and gulped.

"Um….sir?"

"Honda-san, this isn't like you. First, you were late all last week, and now you're falling asleep. If this behavior is allowed to continue, your grades will suffer. You're one of the brighter students in this class, and I would hate to see your grades decline. I know your mother passed away last week, but you owe it to her to do your best in this class. Now, so you need to go to the nurses office or anything?"

"No sir."

"Then head into class, now."

Tohru went back into the class and willed herself to stay awake. Little did she know, as the class continued, that the dreams did in fact mean something, and before the end of the day Tohru's life would change forever.

Sorry about the chapter. Like I said, the first few chapters were deleted with the story and I had no back ups on my computer at home. I'm rewriting the story as I go, so it might not be the best for awhile.


	3. Fight on the bridge

Alright…

Alright….I'm really happy because I've had some nice people comment and boost my declining ego. I'm still pissed about the deletion.

On another note, for any people who like this story please read 'No Use Crying Over Spilled Blood,' an AU Ruroni Kension vampire fic.

And on with the story.

Chapter 2

Encounter

Kyo walked down the street, clutching the katana he had hidden under his overcoat. He hated being the coven's little tool as he avoided the people that walked past. The katana was too long to comfortably hide under the coat, and Kyo further cursed that he'd been sent out on the mission that night. However, it could always be worse.

Shigure could have made Yuki go with him.

Ever since being forced into living with Shigure and Yuki, the relationship he'd had with the little rat had gotten even worse then it had previously been. The smug little bastard barely pulled his weight, as far as Kyo was concerned, and never failed to piss him off anytime they were forced into being in the same room. Being on a mission with Yuki, that would be hell.

Kyo spotted the vampire he was supposed to be trailing. It was a big guy, about 6 feet tall and very muscular. His hair had been cut into the kind of haircut you'd see from someone in the army. He was wearing a large coat too, and Kyo could tell he was packing some kind of weapon. "What kind of idiot goes onto another coven's land packing heat? What a fucking moron," Kyo muttered, making a beeline for the man.

His target seemed preoccupied as Kyo neared him. Kyo looked around and saw the prey his target was stalking. Some little girl, maybe in high school, was walking in a dazed sort of fashion. "Wow, this guy's just racking up charges, what kind of idiot is he?" Kyo muttered. As he neared the man, the prey began to cross a bridge ahead of them. The man sped up and Kyo growled as he watched him head after the girl.

"Not making this easy are you?"

…

Tohru felt like she might faint from exhaustion as she walked home. Work had been harsh, especially since two of the other maids had gotten sick and Tohru was forced to do their job. By the time she had gotten off, the sun was nearly set and now, as she walked across the bridge to her apartment, the sky was dark and she was forced into following the street lamps lighting the way. "Oh mom….what a day. I can't wait to get home…" Tohru sighed.

She had just reached the center of the bridge when something impacted her back, throwing her down onto the pavement. Tohru screamed and tried to hit her assailant with her book bag. The man had the bag away from her in a few seconds and pinned her to the ground. As she watched in horror, he reached into his coat and drew a knife. Tohru closed her eyes and screamed, fighting with all her might to get free. The man raised the knife and Tohru knew that it was all over, she was a goner.

A smaller man with orange hair impacted the man, causing his hand to miss her heart and driving the knife into the pavement besides her, slicing her shoulder a bit. Tohru kicked the man off of her and sped towards the end of the bridge but stopped when she spotted another man skinnier then the one who had tried to stab her with a large, blonde Mohawk and a few piercings in his face. The man smiled cruelly at her and produced a blade. Tohru began to back away but lost her footing and hit the ground. She tried to get up but her legs didn't want to work.

A loud yell attracted her attention to the men behind her. The smaller one with orange hair, the one who had saved her, had the larger man by the collar and had plunged a large katana into the man's gut. The Mohawked man saw this too, and he grabbed Tohru by her arm and threw her into the railing for the bridge. Tohru's head slammed onto the metal railing and she slumped to the ground unconscious.

…

Kyo watched out of the corner of his eye as the punk-ish looking guy with the Mohawk and piercings walked towards him. The guy he had impaled on the katana cried out as Kyo twisted the sword in his gut before removing the sword and slicing off the man's head. Kyo then turned to face the punk.

"Well, I hope you'll be a better fighter then your friend there," Kyo smirked. The Mohawked man smirked and produced another blade. "I'm more then a match for you!" he smirked, before charging towards Kyo. Kyo raised his katana and caught one of the blades before slamming his palm forward and breaking the man's nose. The man howled and Kyo took advantage of his preoccupation to slam the katana threw one of his hands, causing him to drop one of the blades. The man growled and slashed at Kyo with the other blade but Kyo easily got the blade from him and used it to pin his other hand. As the man struggled to free one of his hands, Kyo took the blade he had dropped and slammed it into the man's left foot before backing up to admire his work.

He had all except the man's right foot pinned with the use of the blades. The man was howling and thrashing but unable to free what Kyo had pinned. Kyo smiled and stepped on the man's right foot and leaning in real close to the man, leaving his face only a few centimeters from the other's. "Alright, it's enough that one of you guys came onto our territory, but two, and after the same chick? What's going on?" asked Kyo. The man kept his lips shut but glared at Kyo. Kyo just shrugged and leaned forward, grabbing a piercing the man had on his eyebrow before ripping it off. The man howled and thrashed but Kyo just looked at the little ring he held in his hand.

"Stop being a baby, it'll just heal in a few seconds," Kyo muttered. He looked up. "That's assuming that you're well fed," he added. The man glared and Kyo reached for another piercing. "Now, you going to tell me why you and your friend came here?" asked Kyo. The man kept silent and Kyo pulled out one of his earrings. This time, the man kept his mouth shut, so Kyo sighed and reached for another. "You have quite a few piercings here, it'll probably hurt a lot if I pull them out one by one now won't it?" He pulled out a piercing from the man's lip. "I mean, I know you're immortal, but even a vampire can only stand so much." He continued pulling out piercings until the man's face was covered in red. "Aw man, no more piercings….unless….." Kyo reached down and unzipped the man's pants. "Commando….very brave of you. And, especially with that little piece of equipment well…on your piece. I wonder how much it'll hurt if I pull that off." The man's eyes widened but he looked up at Kyo and glared. "I ain't telling you nothing, you little pissant. Soon this shit hold little coven of yours will be gone, and Chisa will be standing over the rubble laughing." Kyo just shrugged.

"That may happen, but I doubt you'll be around long enough to see such a future," said Kyo. He took hold of the last piercing and ripped it out with just a flick of his wrist.

…

Tohru awoke when a loud, high-pitched scream emerged bridge. She rose from where she had been lying on the ground, rubbing her head. "Wha…uh….ow…." Tohru whimpered, stumbling around before leaning on the railing of the bridge. She looked towards the man who had saved her and saw him standing over the man with the Mohawk, who was currently covered with blood and howling. Before her eyes she watched her savior rip a katana out of one of the man's hands and slice off the arm it had been embedded in. Blood flowed from the bleeding stump and the man let out an even louder scream. Her savior seemed unfazed by the scene as he took off one of the man's legs. Tohru crept forwards, trying to tell the man to stop. He voice didn't want to work though, and all she could make was a small groaning noise.

Her savior took notice of her when she was a few yards away. "Get out of here, are you some idiot?!" he yelled. Tohru pointed at the man currently pinned to the bridge. "But…but he's hurt!" she yelled. Her savior rolled his eyes and sliced off the other leg. "This guy was trying to kill you! Just get out of her you dumb broad!" yelled her savior. Tohru got up and was getting a little closer when something silver flew by the side of her face. Tohru looked and saw a silver kunai embedded in the ground besides her. Her savoir saw it too, for her looked from the kunai to her, then to the man currently bleeding underneath him. "THERE'S MORE OF YOU FUCKING GUYS?!" he roared. The man just let out a chuckle and pulled his hand away from the wall before using it to grab her savior's collar.

"There's way fucking more of us, and you and that bitch are going to die here tonight."

…

Kyo threw the man off of him and resheathed his sword. He then looked at the girl, who was currently standing a few feet off with a stupid look on her face. Kyo had no idea why there would be so many vampires after one girl, especially one so stupid like this, but if there were so many of Chisa's vampires risking violating the treaty to go after the girl, it may be wise to have her meet with Shigure or one of the other main coven members. He grabbed the girl's arm and dragged her towards the railing of the bridge. There were three vampires coming from the left, and five coming from the right. He had to get the both of them out before they showed up, taking on five was a burden he didn't wish to go through.

"Alright," he said, pulling the girl through the railing of the bridge, "We need to get out of her before more of those fuckers show up and kill us. Do you know how to swim?" asked Kyo. The girl shook her head and looked at him with big, teary blue eyes. "Well, don't worry, it's not that hard. When you hit the water just move your arms in a circle and kick your legs. Oh, and don't breathe under the water, that's the big one." The girl sniffed and looked at the water flowing below. "I-I can't do this," she whimpered, looking back at Kyo. Kyo growled as he felt the vampire's getting closer and forced her into looking into his eyes.

"Listen girl, just jump on the count of three. You either jump or I leave you ass here for those bastards to do whatever they wish with you, got it?" yelled Kyo. The girl shuddered before nodding and looking at the water.

"On the count of three?"

"Yeah, three. I'll let you start, okay?"

"Okay….uh…..one."

"Two."

The girl was about to say three when something reached threw through the railing and tried to grab her. She shrieked and fell forwards. Kyo looked back at the bridge and jumped in after her.

Hitting the water was like hitting a cement floor. Kyo swam towards the surface and looked around. He didn't see the girl, and now the vampires on the bridge were shooting at him. "Fuck," he growled, before diving down under the water. A few seconds later he pulled the girl up and swam away from the bridge.

There wasn't really any shore he could get to, they had long ago paved the sides so getting out of the water would be very hard to do. Kyo finally spotted an area that he could drag her out onto and pulled himself and the girl onto the shore. He lied on the beach coughing and gasping before looking over at the girl. She was lying totally still and her chest was not moving. "Just fucking perfect…..stupid girl," Kyo growled before checking for a pulse. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers before covering her nose and giving two large breaths. Nothing happened, so he continued breathing into her until he felt her body lurched under him and she sprang up, hacking and coughing and gasping. Water sprayed out of her mouth and onto the dirt on the ground. She was able to stop after a few seconds and she looked at Kyo.

"We never made it to three did we?" she whispered. Kyo smiled and shook his head. "Nope, are you okay?" he asked. The girl nodded, but as soon as she rose her ankle twisted off to one side and she cried out and fell to the ground. Kyo gently took her ankle and examined it. It was not broken, luckily, but was badly sprained and he could tell she would not be able to walk on it. He continued to examine her body and found she had a pretty good slash on her shoulder, and her head had a well-sized gash on it. He figured that when he got her to Shigure, he might want to also have Hattori look at her. It wouldn't be too good if she were incapacitated due to a concussion or something like that.

He was jarred out of his thoughts when he saw the girl shivering. He took his overcoat off and gently placed it over her shoulders. "Are you feeling sick or anything? It's going to be a bit of a walk to the bar, that's where I'm taking you. You'll be safe there, we can have you get checked up on," Kyo said gently. He figured he'd have to be gentle with her, considering the night they were having. She just shook her head and cleared her throat.

"Um….sir….what's going on…..I mean……those men on the bridge and-"

"Ask questions later, we need to go. What's your name girl?"

"T-Tohru. Tohru Honda. And….your name is?"

"Not important. Just get on my back okay Tohru."

Tohru got on Kyo's back and he began to walk towards the bar. The walk was silent, and it seemed to tick Kyo off. Usually he like silence, people just seemed to be so stupid when they talked. When they were silent, it wasn't that bad. However, with this girl, silence between them just succeeded in pissing him off. Kyo found himself continuing to ask her if she was okay, if there was anything he could do. Each time he got the same response.

"No, I'm okay."

Finally, after an hour or so, they reached the bar. Kyo helped Tohru down and took her arm to help her get steady. He took a deep breath looked her in the eye.

"Tohru, when we get in there, go to the first table and sit down. There are…..there are people in there who will try to hurt you if they see you are weak. I can't protect you too much, so you need to pretend, the best you can, that you don't need protecting." Tohru nodded and hopped a little as he walked up to the door. He reached for the handle and was surprised to see it was locked.

"What the….GOD DAMMIT WHY DOES SHIGURE NOT INFORM SOMEONE WHEN HE DECIDES TO CLOSE THE FUCKING BAR?!" screamed Kyo, kicking the door. Tohru backed away from him before promptly falling on her rump. Kyo cursed again and helped her back up. "Sorry, Shigure's the jackass who owns this place. Apparently he decided to close today. Got to admit, idiot chose the best fucking time to do that." Tohru held onto Kyo's arm and looked at the door as he pounded on it.

Without warning the door swung open and a small brunette girl smacked into Kyo, causing him and Tohru to hit the ground. Kyo groaned when a familiar voice reached his ears and he felt like screaming out as many curse words as he knew.

Apparently, Kagura had been invited over.

The little brunette got up off of him and smiled. "Sorry, it's just been so long since I saw you Kyo! I mean, it's been what, 4 months since you came by the main house. And, every time I come here you're out on a mission." Kagura's eyes finally fell on Tohru and a scary look passed over her face. She took Kyo by the collar and glared at him. "Kyo, who is she?" asked Kagura. Kyo pulled away, shaking a little, and growled, "She's my mission. Where's Shigure?"

"Out, he went to the main house to see Akito."

"Did he take Yuki with him?"

"No, Yuki's in here cleaning the place a bit."

Kyo smacked his forehead and growled. "Just perfect, I'm stuck with that smug bastard. Well anyways, Kagura could you get this girl treated or call Hattori or something?"

Kagura looked at Tohru and her eyes widened. "Kyo, she's banged up pretty bad. What happened?" she asked. "I'll tell you later. Just fix her up the best you can and call Hattori, okay?" asked Kyo. Kagura nodded and took Tohru by the arm.

"Come on Tohru, let's get upstairs and you out of those wet clothes."

Kyo watch Kagura lead the girl inside before he rose off the ground and walked in himself. He figured he'd talk to Yuki, tell him what happened, and then call Shigure and yell at him for being a jackass.

…

Tohru was half out of her head as Kagura helped her up a flight of stairs. She was led into a bathroom before Kagura walked out to get some clothes. Tohru sat alone in the bathroom, studying the gothic design they used in the bathroom. Her thoughts were interrupted by Kagura returning with a pair of pajamas and a first aide kit. Kagura helped her undress and began treating the wounds on her shoulder and head. She also wrapped Tohru's sprained ankle and cleaned up some of the cuts that were on her. When she was done cleaning her up, Kagura helped Tohru gingerly dress into the pajamas. Finally, she helped Tohru up and they began to walk out of the bathroom.

"Excuse me, where are we going Miss…Kagura?"

"You can just can me Kagura! And we're going to the office. Yuki and Kyo are already there and we want to know why those men were chasing you."

"But I have no idea why they were chasing me."

"Well, let's just go to the office. Maybe, if we all get together, we can figure out what's going on."

Kagura led Tohru to a door and knocked. The door swung open and revealed a very angry looking Kyo. He stepped aside and allowed Kagura and Tohru to come in. Kagura helped Tohru sit down in a chair before looking at Kyo.

"I'm going to call Hattori, okay?"

"Fine, whatever."

Kagura left the room and Tohru looked at Kyo. "Um….What's going on?" she asked in a little voice. "Don't know, that's why you're here," muttered Kyo.

"Well, I can see your brash, arrogant temper is not just reserved for me you stupid cat!"

Tohru looked over at the source of the voice and saw an attractive looking lavender haired boy standing by the wall. He was looking at her but he seemed so nice and polite, Tohru found herself smiling at him. He walked to her and knelt before her and offered his hand.

"Hello, I am Yuki Sohma. I'm truly sorry for what you have suffered through tonight, but we will try to figure out what's going on. So don't fret too much."

Tohru smiled and took his hand. He vision was blurring a bit, but she felt much better with meeting such a prince this night. She watched his smile fade before he reached up and felt her forehead. "Oh dear…..you have a fever." He stood up and glared at Kyo, who was across the room looking a some book. "You stupid cat, she's got a fever and you did nothing to help?!" Kyo whipped around and glared at Yuki. "She doesn't have a fever you stupid rat! She's just fine just lo-" As he had been talking, Kyo was walking towards Tohru. He had just placed his hand on her forehead when he stopped speaking and looked at her with a look of amazement.

"WHERE THE….HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET SICK?!"

"Don't yell at her you stupid cat!"

"Don't tell me what to do you stupid rat!"

Tohru felt the room begin to spin as the two continued yelling at each other. Finally, Tohru slipped out of the chair and fell with a smack to the floor. She didn't feel any pain though as the darkness swamped over her soon after.


	4. Creatures of the Night

Okay, my friends have pointed out that I forgot to do a disclaimer, so here it is

Well, this is actually the first of the chapters which I saved so the story should return to the path it was following.

"_**Vampire:**_

_**1.a preternatural being, commonly believed to be a reanimated corpse, that is said to suck the blood of sleeping persons at night.**_

_**2.(in Eastern European folklore) a corpse, animated by an undeparted soul or demon, that periodically leaves the grave and disturbs the living, until it is exhumed and impaled or burned."**_

_**Webster's Dictionary**_

"_**Cross: A traditional weapon against the undead (and evil in all forms), differentiated from the crucifix by the fact that it does not have upon it the representation of the crucified Christ.**_

_**Crucifix: One of the great symbols of good, a form of a cross but bearing upon it the form of the crucified Christ. While adhering to the basic characteristics of the simple cross, the crucifix is considered more powerful, hence more deadly to the undead, because of its heightened symbolism. The burns received by vampires from a crucifix are more severe."**_

_**Matthew Bunson, The vampire encyclopedia**_

Chapter 3

The creatures of darkness

"_Mom, I've gotten a good job and I was thinking…"_

"_What were you thinking Tohru?"_

"_Maybe, I should quit high school. We could save money, and you wouldn't have to work so hard, and you wouldn't be tired all the time mom!"_

"…_Tohru?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Did I ever tell you I dropped out of high school?"_

"_You did, why?"_

"_At that time I was living alone, and I never had much money after paying tuition and rent. Finally, I chose to give up school and work full time. That was a mistake though. So, the reason I work so hard is because I want you to have what I never had. I want you to hold that diploma in your hand, and I want you to describe to me what it's like to graduate. Can you do that for me?"_

"_Of course I can mom!"_

"_That's my girl."_

"_Mom…"_

"Why did that come to mind…" Tohru though lucidly. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room she was in. From what she could tell, the color scheme in the room was black and red. Directly across from the bed she was lying in was a crucifix. She nervously looked from the crucified Jesus to other pieces of furniture scattered around the room.

She rolled over and tried to get up but a wave of exhaustion and pain caused her to nearly fall off the bed. She moaned and was about to try again when a voice stopped her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Tohru looked up and saw a dark haired man walking towards her. He had a pair of glasses on his face and currently looked very angry. Tohru readjusted herself in the bed and looked at him.

"I'm sorry….I just-"

"Stay still and don't move. The more you exert yourself, the sicker you'll get."

He moved to sit besides her and gently laid a folded towel into a little bowl of water sitting on the table besides him. He took the towel, wrung it out, and placed it on her forehead.

"Sir….do you know what time it is?"

"Yes…5:30 in the morning."

Tohru sat straight up, causing the towel to fall from her forehead and land with a splat on the floor. The man took his arm and pinned her to the bed, holding her down until she stopped struggling. He then lifted himself off of her and picked the towel back up.

"What did I tell you before?"

"But, school starts in another few hours. I have to get ready, I have to-"

"You are not going to school. It's an ideal target for Chisa's men, the humans she employs to work for her, to strike at you, and we will not have them kill you before we know why they're killing you."

"Chisa….humans….what's…."

"Quiet. Are there any family members we need to contact for you?"

Tohru shook her head and looked the man tending her in the eye. "M…My mom just died, and my dad left us a long time ago…before I was born. Mom said that he probably doesn't even know I was born." The man nodded and replaced the towel on her forehead. Tohru noticed something lying on the table, next to the basin of water, and blinked. It was her wallet, and her torn and dirty clothes. She guessed Kagura had brought them in.

"You know….there's a picture of my dad in my wallet. Mom says he gave it to her before he left. I've got a picture of my mom in there too. I hope they weren't damaged too much when I fell in the lake. The only picture of my dad was in there."

The man picked up the wallet and took the pictures out. The picture of her mother he just shrugged and placed it on the table. When he saw the picture of her father, however, he looked at it intently, like it contained some kind of secret. When he caught Tohru staring at him, the man placed the picture with the one of her mother.

"They're both fine, just a little wet. Now, go back to sleep. The attack took a lot out of you, and you need your rest."

"But-"

"No Buts." The man gently took her face and forced into looking into his eyes. "You are going to close your eyes and fall asleep. You will not wake up for atleast four hours. When you wake up, you will feel much better then you felt when went to sleep."

Tohru's eyes fluttered closed and she fell into a deep sleep. The man besides her picked up the picture of her father and studied it again. There was not mistake, he knew this man.

"Hattori, how's out little princess doing?"

Hattori rolled his eyes and looked at the source of the voice. A man about his age, with darkened hair and light hearted eyes, walked in carrying a fan. Hattori picked up the picture and handed it to the man. "Look at this and tell me who you see."

The man took the picture and studied it, like Hattori had, and stared at the girl. "Hattori, he's supposed to be dead. What's the meaning of this?" the man asked. Hattori just shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea, just watch over her Shigure. I'm going to call Akito." Shigure nodded and sat besides the girl, taking the towel from her forehead and rewetting it before replacing the cloth.

"Well little Missy, you're about to become very famous."

…

Tohru opened her eyes, feeling a bit better then the first time she'd woken up. She'd had the dream again, about her mother and graduation. She guessed it was because of all the stress she was encountering since her mother had been buried. Her attention focused back on the room, which was still pitch black. It took her eyes awhile to adjust to the darkness of the room, but when they did she noticed someone sitting besides her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Okay," she said quietly. This person was different then the one she had met with before. He seemed nicer, not that the person before hadn't seemed nice. As if sensing she wanted to ask a question, he cleared his throat.

"I am Shigure Sohma. The man who was in here previously with you was Hattori Sohma. We came over soon after you passed out in the office."

"Oh….I'm Tohru Honda. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine. It's not every day that we have such a cute girl staying with us. So, what's up with your mother?"

"Hmm?"

"Do we need to call her? She must be frightened with you being out so late. We actually need to find any family you may have. It would be easier to protect you if Chisa is unable to take any loved ones hostage," said Shigure. Tohru closed her eyes. "My mom's dead," she whispered. Shigure's eyes widened. "Gomen nasi Tohru-chan," he said, while inwardly thinking, "Hattori you big meanie! You should tell someone before the make a fool of themselves something like her mother was dead!"

"It's okay, it happened two months ago," said Tohru. "Do you have any other family?" said Shigure. Tohru shook her head. "So, why were you calling out for your mother in your sleep," said Shigure. "Oh…I was just thinking of a promise I made to her. Now I'm wondering if I can uphold it. I don't think I can," said Tohru sadly. "What kind of promise?" asked Shigure.

"I promised mom I'd finish high school. When my mom was 16, her parents kicked her out of her home. She got a job and paid for her school tuition. However, between tuition, and rent for her apartment, mom didn't have much money left over. Mom dropped out and chose to work full time. When I was born, mom didn't have much money, but she still worked really hard to put me through school. I once thought about dropping out and working fulltime so mom wouldn't. But, mom said I had to stick with it, and made me promise to graduate high school. But now…I don't know if I can," said Tohru quietly. Her eyes overflowed with tears and she closed them in an attempt to hide the offensive emotion.

"Shh…it's okay," Shigure comforted, wiping her tears from her eyes. He stared at her for a while. "It'll be alright Tohru-chan." Tohru went back to sleep almost immediately and Shigure laughed. "Man, you are one tired little flower," he mused out loud.

"Her father is Katsuya. It makes sense now why Chisa is after her."

Shigure looked up and saw Hattori had rentered the room. He held the picture in his hand and was staring intently at Tohru. Shigure stared at the girl as well.

"I knew something was strange about her, but I didn't suspect she was a half-breed."

"Neither did I. I believed that she just had some sort of supernatural power, like a psychic or something."

"So, the rumors about Katsuya taking on a human mate were true, and poor Tohru-chan, she has no idea."

"You've come close yourself to taking a human mate. That editor of yours…Mii is it?"

"She's a donor. Yeah, I've bitten her and…done things with her, but she's a donor. She only became my editor as a way to get some extra money."

"Whatever. I suppose we should tell the others of this, Tohru's biological father. Don't forget the debt we owe Katsuya, he helped us a great deal during the war. Even Akito knows the coven is in debt to him. We have to protect Tohru. I have a feeling, just because she resides with us, Tohru will not be forgotten by Chisa."

"I'll tell them, you watch over her," said Shigure. "Fine," said Hattori. Shigure rose and walked towards the door. "Well, I'll say this for Tohru-chan, she certainly is cute," said Shigure. "Hn, pedophile," growled Hatori. Shigure laughed nervously before exiting the room.

……

Tohru opened her eyes and found herself in the same room. It was still very dark and she looked around the room searching for a window. There were no windows in that room. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember having seen any windows anywhere in the building the night before. She rose from the bed and stood up, her knees trembling a little but after awhile she found she was able to walk. She was walking to the door when it opened to reveal a very surprised Shigure.

"Well, I was just about to check up on you. It's nice to see you up and about. So, how are you feeling Tohru-chan?" asked Shigure. "I'm feeling fine Shigure-san," said Tohru, smiling. "That's good, you sit down and I'll get you some clothes," said Shigure. Tohru looked at herself and saw she was still wearing the pajamas. "That would be nice," she said.

"What are you doing up?" asked Hattori, walking into the room. "Hello Hatori-san," said Tohru. Hatori walked up to her and rested his hand against her forehead. "Your temperature seems normal. Do you feel alright?" asked Hatori. "Hai Hatori-san," said Tohru. Hatori walked out of the room with Shigure. Tohru sat on the bed and thought. The memories of the previous night were slowly filtering back into her mind like sunlight through the storm clouds, and she still found herself confused. She was still trying to sort things out when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she said.

Kyo entered carrying some clothes. "Shigure said to give these to you because he said you needed some clothes," he muttered. He walked over and set the clothes down next to her. He looked her over. "You look nothing like him," he said. Tohru blinked. "Like who?" she asked. Kyo rolled his eyes. "God, you don't even know. What a ditz," he said. Then he began walking away. "Wait!" Tohru called. Kyo turned to look at her. "I, I never thanked you for saving my life," said Tohru. She looked at him ad gave him a big smile. "Thank you for saving my life Kyo-san!" she said. Kyo looked back at her and sighed.

"You don't always have to call me Kyo-san," he said. "Nani?" asked Tohru. "Kyo-san…it's too formal Just don't call me that," said Kyo. Tohru cocked her head. Then, it hit her, and she smiled. "Okay Kyo-kun!" she said happily. Kyo rolled his eyes and walked out of the room, leaving Tohru to dress.

Tohru looked at the clothes Kyo had given her. A pair of black slacks with a black silk button down shirt was what Kyo had brought. Tohru could tell the outfit was really expensive. "Wow, I have to be really careful!" she thought. She quickly dressed and walked outside the door. She looked around the hallway, surprised at how beautiful it looked. She hadn't really had the chance to really look at it the previous night, overcome with shock and exhaustion. It was painted blood red, with small black crosses painted on. It carried the same gothic theme as her room. "Hana would really like it here!" thought Tohru. Come to think of it, everything in the bar and the apartments above seemed to carry a gothic theme, with everything painted red and black and crosses up everywhere. She was still studying the hallway when Yuki came across her. "Hello Honda-san, how are you feeling this morning?" he asked. "Very well Yuki-san!" she said happily. "That's nice," said Yuki. He took her hand. "Come on, let's get something to eat, you must be starving," said Yuki. "Uh huh," she said quietly. Yuki smiled and led her down the stairs and to the bar.

Tohru gazed at it as if seeing it for the first time. There was a stage at the far end with some band equipment set up. Scattered in front of it were some tables, each set with a black napkin and a black candle. Against one of the walls were some booths, and across from the booths was Shigure, who was serving some drinks to a few people. The bar was painted black, and behind it was a huge plasma screen T.V, playing some gothic music video. A few more crosses were set up in the downstairs.

Shigure saw the two of them and smiled and waved them over. "Hello guys," he said. "Hi Shigure-san," said Tohru sweetly. "Well, I imagine you're very hungry," said Shigure. As if to answer him, her stomach let out a loud growl. "I take that as a yes," said Shigure laughing. He opened a door and they both went back to the kitchen behind the bar. "Here," he said, tossing the two of them two bags of chips. "Shigure, this isn't food," said Yuki, holding up his bag. "Yuki, you know I can't cook, and neither can you, and Kyo doesn't like to cook," said Shigure. Yuki muttered something about Kyo and Tohru opened her bag and began eating the chips.

"Oh, by the way, would you mind going upstairs to my office when you're done eating Tohru-chan, we have to talk," said Shigure. "Okay Shigure-san," said Tohru smiling. Yuki rolled his eyes and he and Tohru ate their chips. Afterwards, Tohru walked back up the stairs and into the hallway.

Tohru looked around at all the different doors. "Shigure?" she called. "In here!" called a voice. Tohru looked at one of the doors, and then opened it. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the room. It looked like a library, packed with many books. Shelves lined with books seemed to take up all the room, except for a small corner where a desk sat with a computer. Shigure sat at the desk, playing with a pencil.

"Tohru-chan! Come, sit down," called Shigure. Tohru pulled up a chair and sat down. "There are a lot of books here Shigure-san, are they all yours?" asked Tohru. "Yes, I've spent many years collecting these books. I use them as research material sometimes," said Shigure. "Research material?" asked Tohru. "I'm a novelist in my spare time," said Shigure. "Wow," said Tohru. "Yeah. Oh! That reminds me, I'll have to call my editor later," said Shigure. "So, why did you call me here?" asked Tohru. Shigure looked at her.

"As much as I would love to talk of my career, there is a much more pressing matter. Tohru, do you know why Chisa is out to kill you?" asked Shigure. "I don't even know who Chisa is," said Tohru. "Well, then, I guess I've got a long story to tell you," he said. Shigure took a deep breath.

"Tohru, I'm a vampire," said Shigure.

Tohru stared in disbelief. "A vampire? As in…Dracula?" asked Tohru. "Well, that's a way to put it. Hattori, Kyo, Yuki, and Kagura are too. The men who tried to kill you last night, and Chisa are vampires," said Shigure. Tohru blinked. "What do you mean by vampires?" asked Tohru. "Well, let me put it this way," said Shigure. He grabbed a letter opener from his desk and before Tohru could ask, stabbed himself in the hand. "Shigure-san!" she yelled. Shigure pulled the letter opener out of his flesh. "Now watch Tohru," he said. Tohru watched his hand. Her eyes opened wide as she watched the skin and muscle seem to stitch itself up. Within seconds, the wound had healed. "How…what…" Tohru found herself at a loss for words. "Vampires possess great healing ability. I can heal pretty quickly as long as I'm well fed," said Shigure. "And by well fed you mean…" Tohru started. "As long as I've fed on some blood," said Shigure. Tohru didn't know what to think. Her subconscious was telling her that this was some joke that this wasn't happening. However, somewhere inside of herself, Tohru found she did believe what Shigure told her and showed her.

"Anyways, we're vampires. Long ago, a war broke out among the three greatest covens," said Shigure. Upon seeing her puzzled face he sighed. "A coven is a specific family of vampires," said Shigure. "Oh," said Tohru. "Anyways, after years of killing, the three covens finally declared peace and wrote a treaty, splitting up territory and assigning rules that all the vampires had to follow. Right now, as long as you stay on our territory, Chisa cannot touch you without breaking one of the regulations for the treaty. However, after last night I wouldn't count too much on the treaty, Chisa seems to be following her own rules now," said Shigure.

"And Chisa is?"

"She's the leader of one of the covens. A different leader leads each of the three. Chisa leads one, our leader is Akito, and Nicolas leads the third coven. You don't have to worry about him much. In the war his coven had so many casualties that he's stayed out of everyone's way ever since."

"Why does she want me?" asked Tohru. Shigure sighed and looked at her.

"Tohru, your father, Katsuya Honda, was a powerful vampire. We believe, that you are half vampire. The picture you said your mother gave you, the picture of your father, looks exactly like him."

"How…I mean…"

"We have a few pictures of him. I'll show them to you."

Shigure pulled out a large photo album and opened it. Inside were many pictures but he flipped to one page. In on of the photos was a man who looked exactly like the one in the picture her mother had given her.

"Is that…"

Shigure folded his hands. "Katsuya was a great aide to us in the war. Without him, the war would have raged longer, taken more lives, and probably left Chisa in control of all the territory. We believe it is because of this that Chisa wants your life to end," said Shigure. Tohru blinked.

"A…a half vampire? But, but how? Mom…mom never said anything about dad…how did this…why…" Torhu felt her throat close up as her world crashed around her. Her mother had never said anything about her father. But, why didn't she even try to tell her that her father was a half vampire, and that she was a half-breed. How had this happened? Was her father the person Kyo had meant when he was talking to her earlier? Tohru was shaking and at a loss for words.

"Where's my dad now?" asked Tohru. "I have no idea. He left fifteen years ago and we haven't seen him since. Most of us believe he probably got caught in the sun or killed by a vampire hunter," said Shigure. Tohru stared at him, and then started crying, totally in shock from what she had heard. Shigure looked at her sadly.

"I'm sorry Tohru, for releasing this news to you. However, it would help the situation greatly if you understood why it is Chisa wishes for your life instead of being left in ignorance," said Shigure. Tohru couldn't stop crying, as he spoke. Her senses were running around uncontrollably. Her father had been a vampire, her mother had never told her, and she was a half bred wanted by this Chisa woman for nothing more then what her father had done. Shigure walked over to her and hugged her until her tears stopped and she simply sat there sniffing and trembling. After awhile, Shigure whispered, "Feeling better?" Tohru pulled away from him and nodded. "That's good, you're too cute to cry," said Shigure. Torhu sniffed and wiped her eyes, banishing the stray tears that had fallen. "Tohru, until Chisa is stopped, we will have you stay here," said Shigure.

"No! I can't do that!" said Tohru. Shigure looked at her. "Why? What's wrong with the bar?" asked Shigure. "Nothing's wrong, it's just, I've already taken advantage of you hospitality! You were nice enough to care for me last night, provide me with clothes, and even feed me. I can't stay here without giving you something in return. Shigure looked at her, and then got a devilish glint in his eye. "Alright, I know what you can do…" he said. "Yes?" asked Tohru.

"You can…BE OUR NEW HOUSEKEEPER!" said Shigure happily. "Okay! I can clean very well, and I can cook too," said Tohru. "Yay! A cook! Now we won't have to depend on Kyo or takeout!" said Shigure happily. Tohru smiled. "Okay, but I'm going to need a tour of the house so I'll know where all the rooms are," said Tohru. "Alright. Have Kyo or Kagura show you, I've got Yuki downstairs running the bar, I have to join him soon, and Hattori had to go back to the main house," said Shigure. "Okay," said Tohru.

As soon as she walked out of the office her mind began to run again. She leaned against the door, still trying to process what Shigure had told her in there. "My dad was a vampire, and I'm a half vampire. Why….why did all this have to happen now? Why…why me?" she thought sadly. She felt tears come to her eyes and she walked away from the door. She didn't want to worry anyone who might see her crying. She looked for the room she'd been kept in but her eyes were filled with too many tears to be able to track it down.

"Hey."

Tohru looked up to see Kyo, who had been walking by. "Kyo-kun?" she asked. "What's wrong, or do you always cry in hallways?" asked Kyo. Tohru bowed her head. "Gomen nasi Kyo-kun," she said quietly, bowing her head. Kyo looked at her, then sighed. "No, it's my fault, whatever happened isn't my business," said Kyo, starting to walk away. Tohru looked up. "Kyo-kun," she called. Kyo looked at her.

"Kyo-kun, would you please give me a tour of the house?"


	5. The meeting

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The meeting

Tohru followed Kyo around the apartments above the bar. "Anyways, that's my room over there next to yours, Yuki's room is down the hall, and Shigure's room is right next to his office. You also know where the bathroom is. Hm…those two rooms are guest rooms but one is currently being fixed up because a pipe broke in there and the other is filled with a bunch of Shigure's junk. Now let's go down stairs."

Tohru followed Kyo down the stairs. "Here's the bar, you should already know where it is. Behind the bar, you can kind of see it through the doors, yeah. That's the kitchen. If you're going to cook for us, we'll need to get it restocked. All we have is a bunch of condensed soup and alcohol. Neither that damn Yuki nor that pervert knows how to cook. Behind the kitchen is the alley we throw all the trash in. Don't worry, they take it out and so, yeah."

He then led her through a set of doors into another hallway. He pointed to a room at the end of it. "That's the meeting room, it's where we meet if an emergency comes up. We'll be meeting there later tonight with some more of the family," said Kyo. "To discuss me?" asked Tohru. Kyo looked at her. "Listen, this started long before you were born, so don't feel guilty or anything, okay? It's not your fault," said Kyo. Tohru still looked sad, and began to wring her hands. Kyo sighed and led her down the hall.

"There's another bathroom, and here's a rec room, only has a ping pong table. This room right here is the….special kitchen," said Kyo. Tohru looked at him. "Special kitchen?" "It's where we store the blood we drink and serve," said Kyo. Tohru blinked. "Oh…" was all she said. Kyo took her down the hall and knocked on the door to the meeting room. "Come in," came Hatori's voice.

Kyo opened the door and held it open for Tohru to enter. The two of them walked into the meeting room. It was very big, and had a huge table in the middle. There were a lot of chairs around the table. The room was painted black like the rest of the place. Hattori was already sitting at one of the chairs. "So, when's the rest of the family coming?" asked Kyo. "They're heading over now, so they should be in soon," said Hattori. Kyo pulled a chair back for Tohru and she sat down. He sat beside her. The doors to the meeting room opened again.

"KYO!" Kyo froze as Kagura ran into the hall, glomping him and throwing him from the chair. Yuki walked in after her. "Hello Honda-san," he said politely. "Hello Sohma-san," she said. Yuki sat next to her. "DAMMIT WOMAN! I THOUGHT YOU WERE GETTING RIN!" yelled Kyo. "I did get her! Isuzu just wanted to get something to eat before she came in!" pouted Kagura. She looked at Tohru. "Hi Tohru-chan! How are you feeling?" asked Kagura. "Much better. Oh no!" Tohru jumped up. She ran to Hattori and bowed. "I don't know if I thanked you properly for treating me yesterday but thank you Hatori-san!" said Tohru. Hatori blinked, then smiled. "It's alright, just don't overdo it Tohru-san," said Hatori.

The doors to the meeting hall opened again and a girl stepped in. She had long black hair and beautiful eyes. She was dressed in a black corset with a long black skirt and she wore a black trench coat. "Isuzu!" Kagura called happily. She said nothing but walked to a chair and sat down. Tohru walked back to her own chair and sat down too. Isuzu looked at her before turning to Hattori. "So, is she the reason the meeting was called?" she asked. Tohru felt guilty and slowly sank into the chair. Yuki scowled. "Rin, please be more polite," said Yuki. Rin just rolled her eyes and looked at the table. Yuki looked at Tohru. "I sorry for Rin's behavior. She…She's been through a lot, Honda-san," Yuki said. Rin glared. "I don't need you to apologize for me!" she yelled. Tohru sank further back into the chair. Kyo scowled from his position on the floor, then he pushed Kagura off him and sat back down in his chair. Kagura pouted and sat next to him, latching onto his arm. Rin glared at all of them and turned back to the table.

"HEY EVERYONE!"

A cute little blonde boy who burst into the room and hugged Yuki broke the awkward silence that had formed in the meeting room. He looked at Tohru and smiled. "You're the half-breed aren't you!" he exclaimed. Tohru looked at her hands. "Momiji, why did you say that!" Yuki asked. "Oh, sorry, I wasn't thinking. Sorry miss……" he cocked his head. "What's your name?" he asked. "Tohru. Tohru Honda," Tohru said. "WOW! It's nice to meet you Tohru! My name is Momiji! Momiji Sohma. Can we be friends Tohru, Can we?!" asked Momiji. "Of course," said Tohru, giggling at the boy's antics. "Why the hell are you so hyper, you damn brat?" asked Kyo.

"That would be my fault. I took him to a Starbucks before we came," said a voice. Tohru looked to see another boy entering. He had short white hair, but Tohru could tell his roots were black. He wore a huge white trench coat trimmed with what Tohru guessed to be fur. The boy walked into the room and looked around. His eyes fell on Tohru. "Hello there. My name is Hatsuharu Sohma, but you can call me Haru for short," said the boy, holding out his hand. Tohru shook it, smiling. "My name is Tohru Honda, it's nice to meet you Haru!" she said. "It's nice to meet you too," said Haru. He looked at Rin. "Well Rin, it must really be an emergency if you chose to appear," he said. Rin scowled. "Shut up. Kagura made me come," she growled. Haru smiled and sat between Yuki and Rin.

"Well, where's the rest of the family?" asked Kyo. As if on cue, the door opened, and two new guys and a girl walked in.

(In this story, both Kisa and Hiro are about 17 years old)

"Well, it looks like everyone's here!" said one of the men who had long, white hair and a striking resemblance to Yuki. "Yeah, just another boring family meeting," said the other boy. "Nuh uh, Hatori-san said it was an emergency!" exclaimed the girl the three of them stopped when they saw Tohru. "Well, whose this little flower brother?" asked the man with long white hair. "T-Tohru Honda," said Tohru quietly. "Well Miss Honda, I'm Ayame Sohma, Yuki's dear, sweet brother, who he worships and ador-" Yuki got up from his chair and sent Ayame flying across the room. Tohru stared. "Gomen nasi, but I really can't stand him," said Yuki, sitting back down. "Oh…" sad Tohru, still at a loss for words. The boy and the girl watched as Ayame got off the ground and sat next to Hattori. The girl had short, orangish hair and the boy, whose hand had moved to grip the girl's, had tawny-ish brown hair. Kyo looked at Tohru. "Anyways, the boy is Hiro, and the girl is Kisa," Kyo said, pointing at the two people by the door. Tohru smiled and looked around. Almost all the chairs were taken up. Only four more were left. "Dammit, now where's Shigure?" asked Kyo. "It's only fitting that Shigure be late to a meeting he called," said Yuki.

After a few minutes of silence, the doors opened and Shigure walked in. "Hello, sorry I'm late!" he said. "Let me guess, you were working on your latest novel, or tormenting your editor," said Hattori. "Hey…cut me some slack…" Shigure said. He brought forth a pretty girl in a pink kimono. "Ritsu got lost coming here, and I was needed to direct him to the bar," said Shigure. "GOMEN-NASI SHIGURE-SAN! I DIDN'T MEAN TO GET LOST! I WORK AT A HOT SPRINGS, I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE FOR TWO MONTHES, GOMEN NASI SHIGURE-SAN, GOMEN NASI!"

"Calm down Ritsu," said Shigure. The girl looked at Tohru. She smiled back at him. "Tohru, this is Ritsu Sohma," said Shigure. "Hi Ritsu," said Tohru. "Hello!" said Ritsu. "Wow, you're so pretty," he said, looking her over. "You too, you're mother must be proud to have such a pretty daughter," said Tohru. The entire room went silent before Shigure coughed and said, "Ritsu's not a girl."

Tohru's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by Ritsu who let out a scream similar to a hamster getting stuck in a car battery.

"I'M SO SORRY TOHRU-SAN! I SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU I WAS A MAN! GOMEN-NASI! GOMEN-NASI!"

"It's okay Ritsu," I should have realized you were a boy the fault is entirely mine!"

"No, we just met, it's my fault all my fault!"

They went on like that for a while before Shigure interrupted by saying, "Let's get the meeting started, shall we?"

Hatori rolled his eyes.

"Now, it's time to start the meeting," said Shigure, sitting down. He looked at all the people gathered around the family.

"Last night, a problem arose. Chisa's coven went against the rules set down by the peace treaty and attacked a person on our land."

"Why the hell would they do that for some dirty little half breed?" asked Hiro. "Cause, Tohru's father was Katsuya Honda, who you all know is number one on Chisa's hit list."

The room went silent and everyone stared at Tohru. Tohru shifted uncomfortably and began wringing her hands. "Katsuya's daughter?" Ayame asked. "Yes, so you can see why it is very important Tohru be guarded, and I suggested she stay under the protection of the coven," said Shigure.

Rin raised her hand. "Yes Rin?" Shigure asked. "What if Chisa attacks the coven to get at the girl?" she asked. "Chisa wouldn't dare attack the coven, she doesn't wish for another war," said Ayame. Rin looked at Tohru again. Tohru was now concentrating on her hands. She wanted everything to be over and done with. "If Chisa was willing to come onto our land for the girl, don't you think she would be willing to break all laws just so the girl dies?" asked Hiro. "We can't know how far Chisa would go for sure. All we know is Tohru needs to stay under the protection of the coven, it's the least we owe Katsuya for his help in the war," said Shigure.

"We hold that man on too high a pedestol, I think," Rin muttered, brushing some hair from her face. "Rin, please stop before your words before they make a mistake you won't be able to fix," Haru said quietly. Rin glared at him before continuing. "Why shopuld we put ourselves at risk because Katsuya made a mistake and knocked someone up?" she questioned. "Of all the people Rin, didn't he save your life when there was the attack on the main house? You of all people should be defending him!" Yuki pointed out. Rin glared at Yuki but before she could talk, Kyo cut her off.

"Why is it such a big deal. We only made it through the war because of Katsuya! Without him, we would have lost our territory. So what if he knocked someone up? Defending her should be automatic considering her father's record." Rin glared at Kyo and crossed her arms. "Tell me, why are you even here Kyo? I mean, you're just some little fool that Shishou sired. I thought the counsel was for pure bloods that actually contributed to our coven," she remarked with an sneer. Kyo stood up.

"I did more during the war then you, you stupid little girl!"

"Little girl?! Tell me, how many vampires did you kill?"

"More then you did, considering during the war you were just sitting around f-"

"Alright! Enough!" Hattori cast glares at both Kyo and Rin and both people looked at each other before sitting down. A few minuted of quiet folllowed, and then everyone murmured and talked. Shigure looked at Tohru and smiled kindly. "Tohru-chan, why don't you go outside and wait, you don't have to sit through the rest of the meeting, okay?" Shigure asked. "Why don't we get Akito and Kureno? Why aren't they here? The leader of the coven should be here to help make the decision!" demanded Hiro. Tohru rose as everyone began talking about Akito and quietly left.

As soon as she was out of the meeting room she collapsed in the hallway. She began trembling and sat a little ways away from the doors. She held back the sobs she wanted to cry and buried her head in her hands. "Why is this happening to me, why can't everything go back to the way it was?" she thought. Her mind traveled back to her mother. "Why didn't she tell me anything?" she thought. Tohru was so overwhelmed by her thoughts that she didn't notice the passage of time and was soon called back to the meeting room. She walked in and gulped, afraid for what she would hear.

Shigure smiled kindly. "Don't look so freaked out Tohru-chan, its' not becoming of you," he said. Tohru smiled weakly. "Well, don't worry Tohru, the family has agreed to let you stay here at the bar for awhile," said Shigure. Tohru smiled. "Thank you, thank you so much," she said. Soon, the family filtered out of the room to hurry back to their homes before sunrise. Tohru watched as they left. She looked at Shigure, who was turning off random things around the bar.

"Shigure-san…" she said quietly. "Yes Tohru-chan, what is it?" asked the man. "Why were there two empty seats at the meeting?" asked Tohru. Shigure paused. "Those seats are for Akito and Kureno," he said. "Kureno?" "Akito's aide. According to Kureno, Akito wasn't feeling so well tonight, so he joined us by video later in the meeting," said Shigure. "Oh…" Tohru whispered. Then she blinked.

"Vampires can get sick?"

"Well...there are some actual disorders that vampires may recieve. Akito was unfortunate enough to inherit one of these disorders at birth, and we have found no way to effectively treat the disorder so occasionally, Akito gets very ill."

Tohru nodded, understanding what Shigure meant, before she yawned and Shigure looked at her. "Tired?" he asked. "Yes. It's been a long day…er…night" said Tohru. "Yes it has, besides, you're not used to staying up at night, it'll take some time to get used to," said Shigure. Tohru yawned again. "Do you have anything I could change into for the night?" she asked. "Yes, I think I do," said Shigure. He walked up to his room and came out with a huge black shirt. "Here, it'll serve as a good night shirt. We'll get you some better clothes tomorrow," said Shigure. "OH NO! You've already done so much for me! How could I possibly repay you!" said Tohru. "No, you need something to wear," said Shigure. "If I could back to my apartment-" "Out of the question. Some of Chisa's slaves might be waiting there for you. It'll be all right Tohru. Just because you accept some kindness doesn't mean the world will end," said Shigure. Tohru sighed and nodded. "Good girl. Now go to bed, I don't want to have to call Hattori again cause you got sick," said Shigure.

Tohru walked back to her room and dressed. Then, she lied back down in the bed. Suddenly, tears came to her eyes. All of her belongings were in that apartment! Her pictures of mom...the clothes she and her mom had shopped for…everything. Tohru buried her face in her pillow and cried.

Suddenly a hand brushed past her cheek. She looked up to see Kyo, sitting on the edge of the bed. She hadn't heard him come in, she hadn't even seen the door open! Despite her surprise, Tohru brushed away her tears and faced him. "K-Kyo-kun? How did….I mean…" "Why the hell are you crying? I sleep in the next room remember, you're keeping me up," he said. Tohru sniffed and tears once again began to form in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'll stop….It would just sound stupid."

"No, tell me, please," said Kyo, trying his best to avoid seeming hurried or uninterested. Despite his inexperience with women, he did have a few ideas on how to approach one that was in distress. Tohru sighed and sat up, gripping the bed spread and averting her eyes to avoid facing Kyo. "Everything's just….yesterday I woke up normal, and today...Today I'm here and there's vampires and it turns out my own father was one and now I'm a half-breed! Not only that, this Chisa girl wants me dead and I didn't do anything! I just...I don't understand why this is happening…why didn't mom tell me?" Tohru whimpered.

"Is that it?" Kyo asked quietly a few seconds after her outburst. "No, it's just a lot of things, I'm sorry Kyo," she said. He rolled his eyes and gently grabbed her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "It's alright. I don't think your reasons for feeling this distress are stupid, a lot's happened. Just sleep for now, everything will even out later, don't worry," he whispered. He got up. "By the way, I'm lending you some clothes for tomorrow, so you have something to wear," said Kyo. Tohru smiled. "Thank you Kyo-kun," she whispered. "Your welcome, now go to sleep," he said. Tohru yawned and was out like a light. Kyo watched her for a while, then returned to his own room.


	6. The things we give up

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The price we pay

Uo quickly ran up the steps of Tohru's apartment building, her breaths coming in hurried gasps. Tohru had not met with her and Hana that morning, and had neglected to show at school. Tohru never neglected her responsibilities like this, so something had to be up. As soon as school had ended, Uo and Hana had raced to her building. The elevator was out, so Hana and Uo had decided to bound up the stairs.

Uo gasped as she finally reached Tohru's floor. She ran down the hallway and rounded the corner until a horrifying sight met her eyes.

The door to Tohru's apartment had been wrenched off it's hinges. Inside the apartment, Tohru's belongings had been thrown around and ripped apart, like someone was searching for something. The Landlord for the apartment complex was inside, talking to a cop as many more took inventory and looked for clues. Uo raced in, running up to someone who looked like the main cop and shaking him. The cop turned around and grumbled as he stared down at her.

"Hello?"

"What happened? Where's Tohru? Why's everything so torn up and-"

"No calm down little lady," the cop said, patting her on the shoulder, "We don't know too much about the situation now. All we know for sure is that an unidentified male burst into this room last night and tore everything to high hell. Afterwards, he ran out, injuring two men and killing a third. The other two are still in the hospital."

"What about Tohru?" Hana asked calmly, moving between Uo and the cop. The man looked down at her.

"Your little friend hasn't been found. We believe she may have been abducted. Have you seen her at all today or yesterday?"

"She goes to school with us and meets us every morning at 8 infront of the school. Yesterday was normal, she went to school, and we last saw her when she was going to her part time job cleaning at-"

"Hold it girls, something just came up," the cop said, looking to one of the men who was holding up something. He walked over to the man, and his face scrunched into one of concern. When he came back, he looked very concerned.

"Girls, let's continue this conversation downtown. It seems that your friend may be in more trouble then you think."

...

"We need to get you some clothes."

Shigure, Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru sat in Shigure's office discussing what to do about Tohru's current clothing shortage.

"Yes, we should get Honda-san some clothes. She can't wear our clothes forever," said Yuki. Tohru shot up from her seat. "You can't do that! You've already done so much for me, I couldn't ask for anymore!" she said. "Nonsense Tohru-chan. Besides, you can't keep wearing Men's clothing. A delicate flower such as you cannot wear such clothes," said Shigure. Tohru blushed. Kyo rolled his eyes. "But, it would be too much to have you buy me some clothes," she said. Kyo sighed and ruffled her hair a bit. "It's too much to have us loaning you our clothes all the time. It'd be better if you had your own clothes instead of using ours all the time," Kyo said, ruffling her hair. "Besides, girls are supposed to like shopping," he added, causing Tohru to blush.

"Now guys, remember to keep your guard up while out there. Just because she's on out territory does not mean she'll be safe, so take your weapons with you and prepare for attack," Shigure warned. Kyo and Yuki nodded before going off and picking up their weapons. When they came back down, Tohru nervously rose and followed them out the door. They walked around the corner and into a large building where a few cars were parked. Yuki smiled and looked at Tohru.

"Which car would you like to go to the mall in Honda-san?"

Tohru blushed deeper and looked at the cars. "Oh my! All these belong to you?" she asked.

"Well, yes. Now, which one would you like to use?" asked Yuki, motioning to the cars. Tohru looked at the cars before pointing at a pretty blue subaru. "Um, would that one be okay?" asked Tohru.

Yuki nodded and grabbed the keys. "What makes you think you're driving?" asked Kyo, grabbing for the keys. Yuki just moved the keys out of his reach and began to head to the car. "Like hell I'm going to let you drive!" Kyo yelled, trying to take the keys again. Yuki just moved them out of his reach and smacked Kyo off to the side. Kyo slammed into another car, leaving a dent where his head had hit. he stood up and glared at Yuki.

"You stupid Rat! I'll kill you!"

"You can try, but I believe that will be as successful as your previous attempt to steal these keys."

Before Yuki and Kyo could begin fighting, Shigure walked over. "Don't start fighting guys, the mall's only open another hour or so. Just get going and get Tohru some clothes," he stated, pointing to his watch. Kyo and Yuki glared at each other before Kyo got into the back seat and Yuki convinced Tohru to get into the front.

"Don't forget to pick up a pink string bikini!" Shigure called as they went off into the night. Kyo proceeded to flip him off out the window and Shigure laughed.

"Man, I really wish I could go," he laughed, walking around back to the bar. He figured he'd close the bar, seeing as how he actually needed to work on his latest manuscript. He paused when he noticed a skinny, short haired woman standing in front of the doors to the bar.

"Mii?"

Mii spun around and looked at him. He smiled, figuring it'd be too exhausting to run from her today, and led her into the bar. "So Mii, what bring you to the bar tonight?" he asked, going behind the bar to get her a drink. He'd learned that Mii was pretty easy to handle when she'd had some alcohal in her. Mii took the drink and gulped it down. "Where do I start? First, your next manuscript is due! I mean, stop playing this stupid game with me Sensei! I came here last week, and then Thursday, and then yesterday, and you won't take my calls and you're never here when I show up! You're driving me out of my mind!" Mii yelled, nearly throwing the glass in her frustration.

Shigure caught the glass and placed it on the counter. "Well Mii, it's just too much fun playing around with you!" he said, a smirk placed upon his face. Mii just screamed and kicked a stool. "Playing with me is fun?! ARGH!!" she yelled, flailing her arms. Shigure snickered, Mii was always pretty entertaining when she lost control. He knew he was slightly sadistic for messing with her like he did, but he couldn't stop since it was just so much fun.

"Alright, alright calm down," he said. Mii groaned and crossed her arms. "So, you said you had more then one reason, right? What were your other reasons?" asked Shigure. Mii looked at him, then looked away. Slowly, she removed a choker on her neck, revealing a set of scars that Shigure knew were from repeated feedings. He nodded and before she could say anything, he sat next to her.

"Do you just want me to feed, or do you want to do it like we usually do?"

"Like we usually do, I need some stress relief from the drama you seem to conjure up, you sadist."

Shigure smiled and rose, taking her hand before leading her up the stairs. Mii had been his editor for three years and his premier donor for four. In those years he had established a sort of relationship with her. He preferred having her as his donor because just as she used their feeding sessions for stress relief, he used it to rid himself of any aggression that he may have. Since Tohru had come into the lives of himself and the coven, he had built up a lot of stress and aggression that he felt he needed to be rid of, and he could think of no one better to pour that aggression into then Mii.

...

"What are you talking about?!"

Uo pounded her fists on the table and had her face not even an inch from the officer's. The officer simply coughed and backed away from the angered blonde.

"I mean exactly what you heard, we believe that Honda-san's abduction was part of some sort of revenge plot against her mother. Kyoko Honda was a gang leader for several years starting in high school. It was not until after the birth of Tohru that she settled down and ended her violent lifestyle. We believe that either a member of some rival gang, or maybe a member of her own gang may have abducted Tohru in some attempt to end her life and maybe gain some satisfaction from the act of revenge."

The other detective chuckled a bit and looked at the girls. "Poor chick, she looks very attractive in those photos. Sad, such a cute little thing being born to such a violent whore of a mother." Within seconds Uo raced across the room ready to send the creep flying through the window. The man held his hands up to protect himself and Hana raced up to grab Uo and take her away from the detective.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" the detective yelled once Uo had been pulled a safe distance away from him. Uo snarled and Hana tightened her hold on her friend when she began to try and go after the detective again.

"What is wrong with ME?! What is wrong with YOU?! You stupid son of a bitch! Our friend is missing and you dare to make these jokes about her, and her mother, who by the way was not some violent WHORE but a great individual that a Creep like you could never fathom to become!!" she screamed, giving Hana a run for her money as she tried to hold her back. The detective left the room and the officer walked up to the girls.

"Calm down now, we're looking for your friend and we're just following the leads we have. Now, for all we know she was abducted by some foreign third party, so we're just trying to make sure we can find her. Just stay calm and don't panic, we'll try our hardest to find your friend alive...or in whatever state we can." Uo turned away, not allowing herself to even think about what state they might find Tohru in. The officer walked to the door and opened it for her and Hana. Hana pulled herself away from her friend and approached the officer.

"I was wondering, do you have Tohru's belongings?"

"Why yes."

"I was wondering, if they are not vital to the case, if we may have them. She was our closest friend, and it would mean a lot if in the case that she was...in that unspeakable case, I would like to have something to remember her by."

The officer nodded and motioned to a desk down the hall.

"Talk to Takahashi, he'll tell you if we can give you those belongings or not."

Hana thanked him before she and Uo walked away. Uo looked at Hana, her heart racing with fear, and anger, and sorrow. "Do...do you think that...do you think that she might be-"

"I do not know. I know that somewhere inside, I feel Tohru and her waves. The waves of the living outweigh those of the dead, and I do not believe that Tohru's waves would be felt if she was dead. However, in the worst case, I would like to have some of her belongings...and we will leave it at that."

...

Kyo grumbled from his place in the back seat as Yuki pulled into a parking space. The three then got out of the car and began walking into the mall. Tohru felt a bit abashed that they were shopping for her, since she'd barely even gone shopping when she was with her mother. Kyo noticed her unease and slowed his pace to walk besides her.

"It's alright, the stupid rat and I are here with you. No one going to try and strike."

Tohru could have laughed, he thought she was uneasy because of the threat on her life. She shook her head and smiled.

"That's not it, I'm just kind of...well...I'm just uneasy with the fact that money is going to be spent on me."

Kyo rolled his eyes and banged her on the head. "Not this again, just suck it up and let's go!" Tohru nodded and followed him and Yuki thru the mall.

...

Uo hated the fact that they had gone to the mall straight out of the police department. Hana walked besides her, clutching the bag of Tohru's belongings. It was not all the belongings, but anything that was believed to be useless to the detectives running the case had been handed over to them and there had been no objections.

Hana had insisted on going here in order to go to an ice cream shop within for some comfort food. She stated that, at this point, there was nothing that could be done so they might as well sit and pray for the safe recovery of Tohru. Uo had reluctantly gone along with her, figuring that even if it was small, the ice cream might be of small comfort.

They moved from the ice cream shop to a table in the food court and sat there, looking at the people walking by. She felt pain in thinking that some random person, possibly someone Tohru never met, had abducted her friend and possibly taken her away forever. She ate the ice cream slowly, fighting back tears that threatened to fall as memories of Tohru coursed thru her head.

"She always had, such unique waves."

Uo looked at Hana, who was eating her ice cream at the same pace Uo had. Hana looked back at Uo and brushed her eye. It took Uo a few seconds to realize Hana had been brushing away a tear. "Don't start talking like that!" Uo demanded, gripping her ice cream until the cone began to fracture. Uo took no notice and continued to look at Hana. "She's not dead, so don't you dare refer to her in the past tense like that! She is NOT dead, and she'll be okay, you got it!" Hana looked at her friend and sighed. "I know, she's not but..."

Uo, who had cast her gaze to the leaking ice cream cone, looked back at Hana who had stopped in the middle of her sentence and was now staring, wide eyed, at something across from where they sat. Uo turned around and looked over and what Hana had been staring at. Her jaw dropped and blood ran cold when she spotted the very person she and Hana had begun to resign themselves to despair over.

Tohru Honda was across the mall with two males that neither Uo nor Hana knew. The thing that mattered was that Tohru was ALIVE, not dead.

Uo dropped the ice cream cone and took off after her friend. Hana was quick to follow suit, charging after Uo as she ran to where her friend was. uo had never run so fast, skidding on the slippery newly washed floor and nearly falling over twice as she charged over. However, Tohru and the men had already gone out the exit.

Uo and Hana moved out the exit but Tohru was still a ways ahead of them. Uo used her last resort and screamed.

"TOHRU!!"

Tohru stopped and turned around. She saw Uo and Hana and her eyes filled with tears. She quickly ran to them, throwing aside two large bags she'd been carrying, and threw her arms around Uo. Uo and Hana both wrapped their arms around her and held her.

"God Tohru, we thought you'd been abducted or killed or something like that!"

"What?" Tohru pulled away and looked at them. "I wasn't abducted or killed, I was..." Tohru began, but she stopped and went silent. Uo gave her friend an inquisitive look and was about to speak when she heard an obnoxious voice yell from across the parking lot.

"What the hell? Girl, Tohru, get back here, we have to go!"

Uo glared at the source of the voice and moved between him and Tohru.

"You want to start something you smart mouth little Son of a Bitch?!"

"No, I want to take that girl you yankee bitch!"

Uo's eyes narrowed and she charged over to the man. "You're the one that took her aren't you! You put us through hell you dirty bas-"

"It's nothing like that Uo! That man, he protected me!" Tohru cried, running between Uo and Kyo. Uo looked at her friend like she was growing broccoli out her ears.

"Tohru, whatever that man told you, it's a-" Before Uo could finish, the man grabbed Tohru and pulled her back. Uo angrily struck the man and sent him backwards. A peice of piping cut his cheek and he cursed as he stood up. Uo readied herself to fight, but stopped as she watched the wound on his cheek heal itself. She backed away, her eyes never leaving the man.

"What...the...fuck...are...you?"

Tohru gulped and faced her friends. "Uo, Hana, my friend Kyo isn't human, he's a vampire. And I...I am half vampire."

A long silence followed before Tohru explained everything to her friends. They were both silent and listened intently. Afterwards, Uo cleared her throat and patted her friend's head.

"Tohru, it's alright. We'll...we'll try to get through this and we'll be okay right?"

"Wrong," Kyo interupted, "There is nothing you could do to protect Tohru. The only was Chisa can't get at her is if she's with us, and with you guys Tohru might as well be dead." Uo glared at Kyo and charged towards him but Hana intercepted her. "Uo, we can't do anything for Tohru, and they can. they are not cutting us off from her, but they are striving and doing their best to protect her. It may be best if we stay away from Tohru for awhile, we could be more of a liability then a help," stated Hana. Uo looked at her friend, and she knew Hana was right. She hugged Tohru tightly and held back the tears she wanted to shed.

"Tohru, no matter what happens, Hana and I, we'll always be there for you, okay?"

Tohru nodded and hugged Uo and Hana tighter.

"I wondered why you guys were taking so long."

Uo and Hana turned around to see an annoyed looking Lavender haired boy standing there. "Who are you?" asked an annoyed Uo. "Yuki Sohma, and may I assume you are friends of Honda-san?" asked Yuki. "You may," Hana said. "Well, I hate to be a bother, but we need to leave. The longer Honda-san is out her is the longer she is in harm's way. I do not wish for anything to happen to her, so we must be going." Uo and Hana looked Tohru and Hana handed over the bag. "These are some of the things salvaged from your apartment. We retrieved them from the police department, and I figure you will want these." Tohru nodded and took the bag, giving her friends a teary eyed grin before heading away with Yuki and Kyo. Uo and Hana looked after her, their hearts aching with the pain of losing their friend. Hana turned to Uo and gently patted her hand.

"Let's go back to my home and start planning what to do about this new situation."

...

Blood was like wine.

That was the closest thing that Shigure could compare the taste of blood to. The way the liquid would run down his throat, soaking into his tongue and tastebuds and very being, it was like the intoxication of wine. He fed greedily at Mii's neck, moving his lips along the bite wound to coax the blood out before gulping it down like a man dying of thirst might drink water. One of his hands strayed to her hip, pulling her closer as he thrust into her again. Mii cried out and clawed at his back, whimpering when his teeth punctured her skin further.

Just as Shigure withdrew his teeth from Mii's throat, the phone rang. He groaned and tried to ignore the phone, continuing with his ravaging of Mii's body. However, as anyone could testify, the incessant ringing of a phone was annoying so he pulled away from lapping at the blood continuing to leak from Mii's neck and grabbed the phone. He pushed the recieve button and answered with a haughty hello.

"Shigure?"

"Oh, hi Yuki."

"Shigure, we may have a problem. Tohru had some friends and-"

"Yuki, I'm kind of busy."

"Shigure! This is important! This is-"

At this point, Mii let out a moan with her frustration that Shigure had ceased moving. Yuki went quiet over the phone before muttering, "I'll bring it up when I return," and hanging up the phone. Shigure just rolled his eyes and went back to the, er, task at hand.

"Shigure, they'll be back really soon. Cut the gentle stuff and just end it."

Shigure abildged and quickened his pace. Mii's back arched and she screamed as Shigure her toes clenched as Shigure pounded into her. Finally, in one final explosion, Mii's jaw felt like it might unhinge as it opened in a silent scream and she clutched Shigure close to her. Shigure tensed, before falling on top of Mii. The two of them lied there, panting and cuddling, until Shigure rose rolled off of her. He got off the bed and began to dress, seemingly ignoring Mii as she lied there on the bed. Mii looked over at him before she sat up and got out of the bed as well. She picked up her clothes and walked towards the bathroom. "I'll just shower, and dress, and then I'll leave." Shigure looked back at her as she entered the bathroom and stopped her with a gentle tug on her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. Mii looked back at him, her eyes sad, and he gently kissed her forehead.

"Thanks, I needed it tonight."

Mii smiled before she entered the bathroom and left Shigure alone in the room.

……..

Shigure looked up when he heard the door to the bar open. Kyo, Yuki and Tohru entered carrying a bunch of shopping bags. "Back from shopping I see, did one of you get her that bikini I asked for?" asked Shigure. "No you pervert, why the hell would we get her a bikini?" asked Kyo. "Cause I wanted you to?" asked Shigure. Kyo showed Shigure a certain finger and walked off. Yuki approached Shigure and the two left for the office, leaving Tohru in the bar by herself.

A little nervous about being alone, Tohru walked up to her room and quickly put her new clothes away in the dresser that had been provided for her. She looked at the bag Hana had given her and looked through the contents. She smiled when she a saw a picture of her mother. "Mom, why didn't you tell me about what I am," she said quietly. She hugged the photo. "Oh mom, I miss you so much," said Tohru.

She heard a knock on the door and quickly put down the picture. "Come in," she said. Kyo walked in. He saw her sitting on the ground with all the contents of the bag Hana had given her laid out. "So, you're sorting through this stuff?" he asked. "Yes," said Tohru. Kyo sat down next to her and sighed. There was silence between the two of them before Kyo said, "I'm sorry." Tohru blinked and looked at him. "What are you sorry for?" asked Tohru. "I'm sorry for the way I treated your friends. I didn't want them to get hurt though. Chisa is a monster, she won't hesitate to use your friends to get to you Tohru, and I don't want anyone to get hurt," said Kyo. Tohru smiled. "I don't want anyone to get hurt either," said Tohru.

Kyo looked at the articles on the floor and his eyes fell on a picture of a man and a woman. He picked up the picture and studied it. Tohru saw him with the picture and said, "Oh, that's my mom and dad. Mom...I never learned she had that picture until after she died. Until then, I believed the only picture of my dad was the one in my wallet. Please be careful, it's the only picture I have of them together!" said Tohru. ""Sorry," said Kyo. He gave the picture back. "So you really are his daughter," he muttered. Tohru looked at Kyo.

"Kyo, mom never said anything about my dad. Could…could you tell me what he was like?" asked Tohru. Kyo sighed. "Maybe later, I'm pretty tired," said Kyo. "Okay," said Tohru. She watched as Kyo left her room.

Kyo walked to his room and flopped on the bed. He thought about Tohru, then his thoughts traveled back to Katsuya. He sighed. "So how did this happen?" he wondered. His thoughts traveled back to when he first met Katsuya.

_**Kyo had never accepted anyone's help. His rule was the only person you could trust was yourself. He had grown up on the wrong side of the tracks. His mother died when he was four and his father had proclaimed Kyo her murderer and made his life a living hell until his death when Kyo was sixteen. Later, he had joined a gang. For the first time, he was around people who seemed to care about him for once, like the family he had always wanted.**_

_**Then one night, his 'family' betrayed him. They set him up, letting a few of his enemies beat him until it seemed Kyo was lost. The memory of the pain, and blood, and the smell of his demise still haunted him in his dreams.**_

_**That was when the vampires had shown up, drawn by the scent of blood. One had been Katsuya Honda. The other had been his teacher, the one who had turned him, Kazuma Sohma. Kazuma asked him if he wanted to live. Even though Kyo figured that it would have been better if he died, something inside him would not let him give up that easily. He asked to live. Then Kazuma had shown him what it was like to be a vampire, and Kyo began to forget his old life. Years passed like days. 7 years after he'd been turned, the war started. He had fought alongside Katsuya, and had become close friends with the man. They had become so close that Katsuya had once saved Kyo's life in one of the battles that was fought during the war.**_

_**...**_

"_**Oy, Katsuya, see any over there?"**_

_**Katsuya looked over at the doors to the hospital where Kyo was standing. "No," he said. Kyo snuck inside and looked around. After knocking out a couple of the doctors, Kyo ran to the area where they stored the blood. He grabbed a cooler full of blood and started for the door.**_

_**BAM!**_

_**Kyo slammed into a wall. The cooler went flying. He got up and unsheathed his sword. He faced the vampire who had struck him. It was a pale-faced man with short white hair. "Fuck off," said Kyo. "Oh, what a dirty thing to say. One like you should have better language little boy," said the vampire. "Fuck off. This blood is for the Sohma coven," said Kyo. "I'm afraid I'll be taking the blood, our coven needs it more then yours. Besides, you should be nice and hand it over. Chisa may decide to spare your worthless life should you aide us," said the man. "I'd rather die," said Kyo. "If you really want to," said the man.**_

_**He drew a blade of his own and charged towards Kyo. Kyo blocked his first few attacks, slashed at the man a few times, and then found himself unarmed as the blade flew from his fingers. His sword flew across the room. Kyo ran towards his blade but was cut off by the vampire, who promptly slashed him across the chest. Kyo fell back, coughing blood. Already he could feel the skin and muscle beginning to heal itself. However, with the way the man was walking towards him, Kyo guessed he might not live another few minutes. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.**_

"_**AHHHHHHHHHHHHGRH!"**_

_**Kyo opened his eyes to see the man lying on the ground, blood pooling out around him, turning the white floor a deep crimson red. Katsuya stood over him. "Come on," grab the blood and let's go," he said. Kyo nodded, grabbed the blood, and ran after Katsuya, pausing only to retrieve his blade.**_

Now Kyo found himself with mixed emotions about protecting his friend's daughter. He had heard rumors that Katsuya had taken a human mate but he always dismissed them. He didn't think Katsuya really wanted companionship, love. If he did, why hadn't he sought such companionship in the vampires that had flocked to him? Kyo sighed and closed his eyes.

Now that he was thinking about it, Kyo wondered if he would ever reach a point in his life that he would want to take someone as a mate. The idea of mating especially at his age, made his feel uneasy and silly. Such ideas were better left for romantic school girls, and not for battle hardened vampires. However, in light of the conflict he knew would come about with Chisa, the idea entered into his mind that he may want to start looking.

Whatever happened though, Kyo was going to protect Tohru, that he swore.


	7. Bloody Countess

_**"Bathory, Elizabeth: Hungarian noblewoman (1560-1614) and member of the powerful Bathory family who became known as the "Bloody Countess" for her multiple murders and obsession with blood. Married to the warrior count Ferenz Nadasdy, Bathory spent many nights alone while her husband was fighting the Turks. She developed obsessive interests in her own beauty, in pleasure, in the occult, and in the most depraved kinds of sadism, which were normally manifested towards her serving girls, with whom she engaged in orgies before murdering them with the help of her lieutenants. Bathory became convinced that blood was a useful cosmetic and restorative when she hit a victim so hard that her blood splashed onto the countess's face and arms; when she washed off the blood she believed that her skin felt smoother and younger. Henceforth she drank, bathed, and showered in the blood of maidens, murdering hundreds of young girls who were brought into her service.**_

_**Exact figures on the number of her victims vary, but some accounts put the number at 610, others as few as 50. Inevitably, however, the truth became known, and in 1610 the countess and her henchmen were arrested, tried, and convicted. Her accomplices were executed or imprisoned, and Bathory was walled up in her bedroom at Castle Csejthe. Four years later the guards who attended her looked in through the tiny slot that was used to provide her with food and discovered she was dead. The "living vampire" was no more, although her memory was kept alive by legends and tales."**_

_**"Csejthe Castle: A mountaintop fortress, located in Transylvania, overlooking the village of Csejthe. It was the residence of Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who used its dungeons and torture chambers to conduct orgies with and mutilations and murders of young girls. Fittingly after her condemnation by a noble court in 1610, she was walled up in her bedroom at Csejthe, dying there four years later."**_

_**Matthew Bunson, The vampire encyclopedia**_

Chapter 6

The bloody countess of the coven of the Wolf

_**Csejthe Castle, Transylvania**_

The villagers of Csejthe had always been afraid of the dark castle where the countess had summoned so many servant girls to die, their blood restoring her skin and beauty, but the ghost of the countess had refused to leave. They now had a new fear to fight, the nameless beauty whose voice lured the young maidens of the village to the dark castle where they were never seen living again. The castle had been searched when the village girls began disappearing only to die, but not a trace of soul was found. It was now believed that the countess's soul continued to haunt the dark halls of Csejthe castle, her voice drawing more girls to their doom...

...

Aria slowly entered the bath, her body shivering at the warmth of the liquid within. She laid down in the bath, letting out a hiss of air at how nice it felt. "Oh, this is so nice," she whispered to no one. She brought her hand from the liquid, watching it flow through her fingers. "This is so nice...and I can already feel my skin renewing itself," she said. She looked around the room at the bodies that littered the floor. She smiled.

"This is so nice, that you gave your blood so I might become so beautiful and young looking," she murmured. Indeed, each of the maidens, under her trance, had taken the knives she gave them, running the blades over their throats and spilling their blood into the basin before falling to the floor. It had been a wonderful sight. And since they were all virgins, and their blood the most pure of any of the villagers in the small village below her, theirs made a very good restorative, purifying her white flesh as their crimson trails were left across it.

She heard the door to the room open and looked up to see a man with raven black hair enter, his gaze on the bodies around here. "Great, I spend a couple hours on a plane going through the worst sort of hell to get here, and you're taking a bath Aria," said the man. "So? I was unaware I should expect company," said Aria. The man entered and Aria frowned. "What a rude man you are, to gaze upon a woman when she is bathing," said Aria. "Well, I bring news from Chisa," said the man. Aria smiled; intrigued by the fact Chisa had sent a message to her. "What ails the leader of our great coven now dear servant of Chisa," said Aria.

"Katsuya had a daughter."

Aria blinked, then smiled. "Katsuya, well, that is news, last I heard he was killed by a hunter," said Aria. "It is unknown what his fate is," said the man. Aria smiled cruelly. "Oh really?" she asked. Then she leaned back, soaking her hair in the blood and exposing her chest to him. She chuckled as he looked at the ground, averting his eyes from her. "So, why is this daughter any of my concern?" asked Aria, soaking her body once more in the crimson liquid. "Chisa wishes for her to die. She tried to kill her once, but the girl got away." The man looked at her. "She has aligned herself with the Sohma clan, the clan of the dragons," said the man. Aria looked at him, all interest she ever had in the matter gone. "Oh really, and why did Chisa send you to inform me of this?" asked Aria. The man sighed. "We would ask your help to see this girl is slain. You are one of the best fighters we have upon our clan, and Chisa needs much help with the slaying of the half-breed daughter of Katsuya," said the man.

Aria waved her hand. "I am uninterested, go back and tell Chisa I decline," said Aria. The man sighed. "Chisa said you would decline. She sent you a gift too," said the man. He snapped his fingers and a girl walked forward. The girl looked to be about high school age, with black hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in a white dress. Aria smiled. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...She's PERFECT!" she happily. She walked out of the bath and the man turned his eyes away from her. He heard her approach the girl and then the girl cried out. He kept his eyes shut tight, ignoring the sounds of Aria's feast. Finally, he heard a loud thump. He opened his eyes and saw the girl, drained of all her blood, lying before him. He looked over and saw Aria standing there, still nude. She smiled at him. "What's your name servant of Chisa?" she asked. The man looked at her face. "D-Daisuke," he said. She smiled and kissed him on the lips, hard. When she pulled away, his lips and chin were smeared with red. Aria gave a toothy grin, blood dripping down her chin.

"Well Daisuke, how soon until we return to Japan?"

_**Japan**_

"Okay! Dinner's done!"

Tohru smiled. "I think I did well, it was the first time I tried cooking this recipe!" said Tohru. Yuki entered the kitchen; they had to eat here since they did have guests all the time, and smiled at the feast laid out before him. "Wow, you have done very well Honda-san," said Yuki. Tohru smiled. "Thanks, I hope Shigure and Kyo like it," she said. Yuki sat down and tried some of the food. His eyes widened. "What, is it too sweet, too sour?" she asked. "It's so good, I doubt Kyo and Shigure wouldn't like it," said Yuki. Tohru smiled. "Thank you Sohma-san," she said happily.

Kyo walked into the kitchen and stared at the food. Then, without saying anything, he sat down and began eating. Tohru stared at him. "Is it good Kyo?" she asked. Kyo looked at her. "If it wasn't would I sit here eating it?" he asked. Tohru smiled. In his own way, Kyo had told her that he liked the food. Yuki glared at Kyo, but continued eating. "I smell food, food, food, food!" Shigure sang. He walked into the kitchen. "Why are you here? Don't you have patrons to look after?" asked Yuki coldly. "Oh, would you deprive me of my sustenance? Besides, this is the first meal our dear little flower has cooked under our roof, I cannot miss this," said Shigure. Tohru smiled. "I hope you like it," she said. Shigure sat down and ate some of his food. Then he clapped his hands together and sighed. "Oh, how this food lifts the soul and warms the heart," he said. Tohru smiled while Yuki and Kyo rolled their eyes. Tohru sat down herself and began to eat.

It was amazing, how she'd so easily fallen into her role in this new...family of hers. She still missed Uo and Hana however, and wondered what they might be doing now. When Kyo noticed her change in demeanor, he gently nudged her. "Hey, lighten up. We all like the food," he stated, thinking that maybe she may have become depressed when thinking they were displeased with the food. Tohru blushed and shook her head. "It's not that, it's just..." she tried to figure out the words to properly convey what was bothering her. When she was not able to do so, she just shook her head.

"Don't worry Kyo, it's nothing."

…………..

Aria and Daisuke stepped off the plane in Japan. A small group of vampires were waiting for them. Aria smiled. "Ah, it has changed since I was last here," she said. Daisuke sighed. "Yes, now let's get to the coven," he said. Aria pouted. "But I want to see this little half-breed everyone is worked up about," said Aria. Daisuke stared at her. "Miss Aria, you know very well we cannot pass onto their land!" he said. Aria smiled. "I can if I get the permission of a certain bar owner," said Aria. Daisuke stared at her. "Shigure would give you permission to pass onto their territory?" he asked. "Shigure knows very well that his bar is public, and as long as I promise not to cause a ruckus, he'll let me on there," said Aria. She looked at him. "You can come with me Daisuke," she said. Daisuke coughed, then nodded. "Very well, I'll go with you, I was told by Chisa to escort and watch you," said Daisuke. Aria smiled.

"You're a new blood aren't you?"

Daisuke flinched at the name and Aria laughed. "You are. You can always tell a new blood by the amount of obedience they show to their sire," said Aria. She looked at him and laughed. "What? You take insult to being called a sired vampire?" she asked. "Yes, it's an insult," said Daisuke. Aria smiled. "I'll sleep with you tonight to make it up to you," said Aria. Daisuke's cheeks grew red and Aria laughed. "Well, let me call in. I know Shigure will let me come over, he wouldn't risk making me think he's rude," said Aria. Daisuke blinked. "Why?" he asked. Aria smiled. "Because Shigure and I have a bit of a...past," said Aria.

Shigure laughed with some of the drunks in the bar while Tohru swept the floor. "Yeah, it was that funny," one of the drunks commented, swigging down another mug of alcohol. "It sounds like it, hold on, the phone's ringing," said Shigure, walking away to answer the phone. "Hello," he answered.

"Hello Shigure, guess whose back?"

Shigure's eyes widened. "A-Aria Donahue?" he asked. "Bingo," the sultry female voice on the phone answered. Shigure heard her laugh. "I want to see that little bar you own, it's been so long Shigure," she said. Shigure growled.

"How do I know you won't cause any trouble? Why are you back in Japan Aria? If I remember correctly, you returned to Transylvania after the war to retire from the battle field." Then it hit him like a ton of bricks.

"You've heard about Tohru!"

"Oh, that's her name. Tohru. Yes, I was sent here cause Chisa is interested in you're little ragamuffin, and I want to see what all the fuss is about," said Aria. Shigure glared at the phone.

"Listen, I don't trust you. The answer is no," said Shigure. Aria chuckled. "Well, won't Chisa be disappointed in the way you have behaved," said Aria. Shigure blinked. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"According to the contract, if I request to pass onto the land, stating I will not cause any mischief or chaos, I am allowed passage onto your land, and we wouldn't want to go against the contract would we?" asked Aria. Shigure growled and Aria laughed. "I'll be there in half an hour," said Aria. Then she hung up the phone. Shigure sighed and hung up the phone. He looked at all the patrons in the bar.

"Everyone, Aria Donahue has returned to Japan, and she's coming to this bar." He watched as everyone went silent in horror. Even Yuki and Kyo froze and looked at him. Tohru blinked, unaware of what was going on. "To all who don't want to meet up with her, get out now," said Shigure. Immediately, everyone cleared out of the bar. Tohru looked around. "Whose Aria Donahue?" she asked. Shigure shuddered.

"She's a demon straight from hell. No one knows much about her before she came to Japan...but she's evil. She loves blood, and the blood of virgin girl's is her favorite. She bathes in it, drinks it, just sick crap," said Shigure. He sighed, "And now she's come to see Tohru," he said. Kyo and Yuki jumped up. "What do you mean she's come to see Tohru?! How could you let here come here!" yelled Kyo. "Indeed, this is very reckless and stupid of you," said Yuki. "According to the contract I couldn't turn her away," said Shigure. He looked at them. "Just keep a close eye on her. If she makes any move, see that she gets kicked out the door," said Shigure. Yuki and Kyo nodded.

"Well hello there," said a sultry female voice. They all looked over to see a woman with long platinum blonde hair walked in dressed in a black short skirt, purple tank top, and a pink jacket. "Aria, long time no see, still a sadist?" asked Shigure. Aria smiled. "Well if I remember, you liked it rough," she said. Shigure's eyes bugged out of his head for a second. "Well then again, maybe I shouldn't talk about this in front of the children," she said, her eyes falling on Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru. She smiled when she saw Tohru.

"Oh, you are definitely Katsuya's daughter, and you are so cute," she said, walking up to her. She reached out to stroke Tohru's cheek, but Kyo slapped it away. Aria glared at him, then sat down at the bar. "Dai-kun, come in love," she said. Daisuke walked in, looking around the bar. He looked at Shigure and the others, his eyes falling on Tohru for a second before returning to Shigure. "This is my little escort, Daisuke. He's a little new blood, be kind," said Aria. Daisuke's cheeks flushed and Aria smiled cruelly. She then snapped her fingers. "I'm a paying customer, and I demand to be served by little Tohru-chan," she commanded. Kyo growled. "Listen you little sadist, stay the fuck away from Tohru!" he yelled, stepping in front of her. Aria clucked her tongue and waved her finger. "That's not the way to treat a paying patron," she sang.

"Honda-san does not serve in this bar. Shigure is the one who serves 'paying patrons' such as yourself Aria-'san'." Aria scoffed at Yuki. "Little boy, when I want your opinion, I'll ask. I'm not afraid to plunge a dagger into your back, again."

"We're not at war anymore Aria-san. Otherwise, it would be you lying on the ground bleeding to death. If I remember, that was how our previous encounter ended."

"Only because you cheated."

"There's no 'cheating' in war."

"Why don't we let little Tohru-chan decide of she wants to serve me." She looked at Tohru. "Now, you want to serve me don't you little Tohru-chan?" she asked, making eye contact with Tohru. Tohru felt a weird feeling come over her and began to walk forward even though she didn't want to be even one inch closer to this woman. Aria smirked. "Look how she behaves so obediently? Such a good little girl. Maybe I should ask Chisa to let me keep her as a pet," said Aria. Tohru continued to walk forwards, her body no longer controlled by her.

Suddenly Yuki clapped his hand across Tohru's eyes. Tohru stopped moving. "Wha...wha?" "You keep away from Honda-san you filth, and don't try such a trick in our bar," he said. Aria glared. "Well Shigure, I must say this place needs a touch up, and your employees need a few lessons in manners."

"I believe Yuki and Kyo have been being too polite. How dare you try 'the stare' on Tohru. Acts like that are the reason that Chisa's clan treads thin ice with us."

"Hmph. I'll have a bloody 'virgin' Mary."

Shigure rolled his eyes and motioned to Kyo and Yuki before he left the room. Yuki grabbed Tohru's arm and pulled her away from Aria while Kyo moved in front of the both of them. Aria rolled her eyes.

"Please…I'm not going to eat her."

"I have a hard time believing that bitch," Kyo growled. Tohru watched his finger twitch just a few centimeters above the handle for his sword. She could tell he was waiting for any opening to attack Aria. Aria seemed to notice too, she smiled and flipped her hair.

"You just can't wait for a chance to 'plunge' your big, hard sword into me can you?"

"I'd rather drain my blood and lie in the sun. There's nothing about you even remotely attractive."

Aria giggled. "Awe….I'd almost forgotten how funny you are. I still can't remember your name. I guess my head's so full of the names of 'important' purebloods that I don't have time to memorize all the names of the pathetic little sired vampires like you. Tell me, what is your name?"

"Kyo Sohma, and anymore talk about my origins and I'll rip that sick heart of yours out of your chest."

"Anything to get to second base huh?"

"Sick bitch."

"Kyo, stop this. It's not helping the situation at all."

"I don't give a crap. This bitch is just asking to have her head separated from her skinny little shoulders."

Daisuke rose and his hand went to a gun at his waist.

"Any move to harm Aria and I'll shoot you where you stand."

"Just try you son of a bitch. Her head could be lying on the floor before your pathetic gun ever left its holster!"

"Is that a challenge?"

"Are you that eager to die punk?"

"Little boys, calm down. We don't need things to get violent."

Aria flipped her hair again and smiled as Shigure walked into the room. "Ah, finally my drink gets here. You're slower then I remember Shigure."

She took the glass and took a sip before spitting it's contents onto the floor.

"What is this?"

"A bloody Mary vampire style. It's what you ordered isn't it?"

"I wanted the blood to be from a virgin. Any other blood sours my stomach. Besides, this doesn't even taste human."

She sniffed it and her eyes narrowed.

"Pig's blood? Don't you have any human blood?"

"Human blood is expensive and extremely hard to get unless you have someone steal from a hospital. I've found it's just easier to go to the butchers for animal blood. No other customers have ever complained."

"You can serve this moose piss to your other customers, I want human."

Aria's eyes fell on Tohru and she smiled.

"I'll take Tohru's blood. From the looks of her, she's just my type."

Aria rose and immediately found Kyo's sword at her throat. Daisuke reacted and aimed his gun at Kyo. There was a long silence before Kyo, in a much calmer voice then anyone imagined he could manage at the moment, broke the silence.

"Sit back down and stay away from Tohru. She is not a donor, and any act of aggression against her is an act of aggression against the coven. Try it and we are within our rights to execute you."

Aria sighed and raised her hands in defeat. Kyo lowered his sword and Daisuke did the same with his gun.

"I guess it was getting pretty boring here. Well, I'll be going, come along Daisuke."

She and Daisuke began to walk to the door. As she was about to leave, Aria turned around once more and looked at Tohru. "I'll be seeing you real soon pet," she whispered quietly, before walking out the door.

Once she had left Yuki released Tohru. "Are you alright Honda-san?" he asked. She nodded. Kyo sighed. "From now on, we have to watch Chisa closely. She has Aria, and she could really hurt Tohru if we're not careful," said Kyo. Shigure nodded. "And I wouldn't want anything happening to our little flower, he said. Little did any of them know this was just the beginning of a new war……


	8. Author's Note:: Stuck at a dead end

Hi, this is a brief Author's note. When I wrote the one shot I'm Yours for one of my readers, it actually helped knock away a bit of writer's block I had so I figure I'm going to try doing this again to see if I can knock off a bit concerning Blood of the Innocent, since I have been stuck at a really bad wall for some time.

So, I figure I should do something for you guys, the wonderful readers that show me I apparently have some talent with this writing...thing. I'm willing to do commissions (I don't know if I should call them commissions since I will not take any reward but the wonderful (hopeful) reviews of the readers) for the first five people who contact me.

There are some rules though.

1. It must be from a series I know. If I am familiar with something, it helps me write the characters in a more believable fashion so their not just 2D puppets who act without demonstrating any reason for acting.

2. If it's a pairing story, it must be a pairing that I support. This may sound childish and stupid, but it kinda ties in with the first rule. I can write more passionately about a pairing I am not only familiar with, but that I do appreciate. If I'm just pairing up two characters, then it's just shit. I mean it. Just total shit because the characters would be like stock, unemotional characters that just act out the part without going through the motions. That's the best I can explain.

3. It's going to be a one shot so don't expect any other chapters. The last one shot I did actually inspired a sequel, but the story itself was only one chapter and never went any farther.

4. If you want a lemon, say so. If you do not, say so. Tell me things you want in the story, or kept out. This is not going to be an AU story, I will stick to cannon just to make things simpler and easier on myself.

5. I am hesitant about doing any self insert characters. I cannot really write about a character unless I can visualize them and know their motivation, backstory, everything. If you really, REALLY want a self insert character, I will send you a giant form to fill out so I get all the information on your character.

That's about it. Please PRIVATE MESSAGE (not in reviews. Reviews are for commenting on the story you are reading, not trying to get another story commissioned) me and that's it.


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